HIBRARY OF CONGRESS. * 

1 ! 

? [SMITHSONIAN DEPOSIT.] f 

# <«^/,. ^ H 4- Ar 1 1 



I UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ^ 



The 
Celebrated Sporting Works 

OF 

ROBERT B. ROOSEVELT. 

I. 

The Game Fish of the North. 

II. 

Superior Fishing, 

in. 

The Game Birds of the North. 



*^* All published uniform ivitU tJiis volume, 

hoMdsomely hound in doth, price $2.00. 

Sent free by mail on receipt 

of price, $2.00, 

BY 

Carleton, Publislier, 
New Yorli. 



SUPERIOR FISHING; 



OB, 



THE STRIPED BASS, TROUT, AND BLACK BASS 
®f tlie Nartl)crn States. 



EMBRACING FULL DIRECTION'S FOR DRESSING ARTIFICIAL FLIES 

WITH THE FEATHERS OF AMERICAN BIRDS; AN 

ACCOUNT OF A SPORTING VISIT TO LAKE 

SUPERIOR, ETC., ETC., ETC. 



By ROBERT B. ROOSEVELT, 

AUTHOR OF " THE GAME FISH OF NORTH AMERICA," " THE GAME BIRBS OF 
OUR NORTHERN COASTS," ETC. 



"&. 






NEW YORK : 

Carleton, Publisher, 413 Broadway. 



M DCCC LXV. 



Ka 






,KX^...^ 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S65, by 

GEO. W. CAELETON, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United Slates for the 
Southern District of New York. 



R. CRAIGHEAD, PRINTER, 

Caxton Building, Centre St., K Y. 



INDEX. 



Achigon, 71. 
Agates, 108. 
Agawa, 91. 

ascent of, 104. 
canoes for, 99. 
Indians at, 92. 
mouth of, 59. 
American Anglers' Book, 269. 
Anthony, John, 151. 
Apostle Islands, 122. 
Artificial baits, 272. 

flies. See Fliea. 
bait-fishing, 246. 
fly-fishing, 246. 
minnow, 273. 

Bacon, fried, 295. 
Bass. See Striped Bass. 
Batchawang Bay, 65. 
falls, 82. 
fishing, 79, 82. 
river, 77, 110. 
Bayfield, 122. 
Beans, 296. 
Beaver, teeth of, 115. 
Bergall, 160. 
Birch canoe, 126. 
Black bass, 10. 

where found, 11. 

in Lake Superior, 71, 75. 
Blue fish, 160, 274. 
Brule river, 122. 
Buzz, 212. 

Cakes, griddle, 299. 
Camlet, 200. 
Casting fly, 263. 

contest, 266. 

distance, 265. 

rules of New York Club, 271. 

for striped bass, 189, 140, 142. 



Casting menhaden, 189, 144, 145, 147. 
line, 261. 

shrimp for striped bass, 143. 
Catch, 204. 
Chippewa, 78. 

house, 36. 
Chowder, clam, 289. 
Scott's, 300. 
Webster's, 298. 
Clium, 153. 
Clams, baked, 289. 

broiled or fried, 290. 
chowder. 289. 
stewed, 290. 
Cleveland, 23. 
Close time of fish, 187. 
Cock a doosh, 48. 
Cookery for sportsmen, 279. 
in the woods, 285. 
materials for, 286. 
Copper mines, 109. 
Corn starch, 114. 
bread, 299. 
Cot, 155. 
Cypress, J., Jr., 18. 

Deacons' quarrel, 171. 

Dead riv^er, 122. 

Detour, 83. 

Detroit, 28. 

Dining by Americans, 29. 

Duck, roast, 296. 

Dyes, 240. 

yellow, 240. 

orange, 240. 

scarlet, 240. 

crimson, 241. 

brown, 241. 

blue, 241. 

purple, 242. 

violet, 242. 



IV 



INDEX. 



Dyes, claret, 242, 
black, 242. 
lavender, 243. 
blue dun, 243. 
green, 243. 
gray drake, 243. 
gut, 244, 245. 

Effgs, fried, poached, or scrambled, 

290. 
Esox ho7'eus, 11. 

Feathers, preserving, 213. 

for fly-making, 201. 
Fish, protection of, 1S3. 

close time, 187 

baked, 293. 

boiled, 291. 

broiled, 292. 

chowder, 289. 

fried, 292. 

potted, 29T. 

stewed, 293. 

diminution of, 1S4, 185. 

importance as food 184. 

spawning season, 187, 189. 
Fisheries, value, 190. 
Fishing grounds, 15, 16. 
Flies of Lake Superior, natural, 117. 
salmon, 202. 

salmon from Scrope, 215. 
trout, 210, 211. 
Flies, 215. 

alder fly, 231. 

August dun, 235. 

black gnat, 228. 

black palmer, 233. 

blue bottle, 237. 

blue dun, 220. 

brown palmer, 238. 

cinnamon dun, 236. 
fly, 236. 

cow dung, 222. 

dark mackerel, 232. 

downhead fly, 228. 
. fern fly, 230. 

grannom or green tail, 225. 

gold-eyed gauze Aving,'233. 

gravel bed or spider, 225. 

great red spinner, 223. 

great dai'k drone, 2-1. 

green drake, 231. 

hazel fly, 232. 

iron blue dun, 226. 

Jenny spinner, 227. 

Kinmont Willie, 215. 

Lady of Mertoun, 215. 

little dark spinner, 229. 
yellow May dun, 228. 

March brcwn, 223. 



Flics, meg with the muckle mouth, 
216. 
meg in her braws, 216. 
Michael Scott, 216. 
oak fly, 228. 
orange fly, 235. 
peacock fly, 222. 
projecting bodies, 217. 
red ant, 234. 
red palmer, 237. 
red spinner, 220. 
Ronald's flies, 219. 
sailor and soldier, 230. 
sand fly, 224. 
silver horns, 234. 
stone fly, 224. 
toppy, 215. 
turkey brown, 229. 
water cricket, 221. 
wren tail, 233. 
yellow dun, 226. 
sally, 230. 
Floss silk, 199. 
Fly-book, 262. 

casting. See Casting Fly. 
making, 196. 

bodies, 199. 

buzz flies, 212. 

catch. 204. 

double hackles, 210. 

gut loop, 202. 

hackles, 200, 209. 

hooks, selection, 197. 

Hyde's directions, 218. 

materials, 198, 199, 200, 201. 

materials preserving, 213, 

midge flies, 213. 

palmers, 213. 

projecting bodies, 217. 

salmon, 202. 

stop, 204. 

tag, 203. 

tip, 203. 

trout, 210, 211, 

tying silk, 1SI9, 212. 

wax, 214, 198, 199, 213. 

wings, 201, 205, 209. 
mixed, 20S. 

Garden river, 121. 
General remarks, 9. 
Goulais bay, 61. 
Grand island, 122. 
Gravv, 296. 

Gros Cap, 53, 55, 61, 116. 
Griddle cakes, 299. 
Guides, Alexis Biron, 40. 

Joseph Le Sayre, 40. 
Gut, 198. 
loop, 202. 



INDEX. 



Harmony river, 6T, 112. , 

falls, 68. 

upper falls, 75, 
Herring lake, 47. 
Hooks, selection of, 197. 
Hudson's Bay Company, 60. 

Ice drift, 55. 

Isle QjiiyX Arabes, 65. 

Judith Point. See Point Judith, 

Kinnikinick, 58. 

Lahrax Lineatus, 138. 
Lake Huron, 32. 
George, 83. 
trout, 186, 275. 

spawning season, 137. 
Lake Superior, Chap. I., 22. 
IL, 38. 
III., 60. 
IV., 77. 
v., 102. 
flies for, artificial, 40, 128. 
flies of, natural, 117. 
north shore, 122. 
resume, 120. 
return from, 118. 
route to, 121. 
tackle for, 128. 
trout of, 124. 
map, 130. 
L^anse aux Crepes, 88. 
Leader, 261. 
Lines, how prepared, 139. 

for striped bass, 147. 
Lines, 260. 

Liver, how cooked, 299. 
Lobsters, 293. 

Mackinaw salmon. See Namaycush. 
Maine, 14. 
Mamainse, 88, 110. 
Maple Island, 65. 
Marquette, 121. 

Meats, baked, boiled, broiled, and 
stewed, 295, 
tough. 297. 
Menhaden bait, how prepared, 153. 
Midge flies, 218. 
Milk, 286. 
Mines, 117. 
Mohair, 199. 
Mount Kineo, 101. 

Namaegoose, 122. 
Namaycush, 62. 

baits, 134. 

cbaractei-istics, 135. 



Namaycush, color, 132. 

localities, 134. 
seasons, 133. ^ 
spawning, 135. 

Nepecgon, 124, 91. 

Oysters, broiled, fried, or roasted 

288 
scolloped, 289. 
stewed,, 287. 
Omelet, 291. 

Palmers, 213. 
Pancake Bay, 88. 
Partridges, 111. 
Pedro Don, 22. 
baggage, 83. 

conversation in Chippewa, 94. 
disquisition on liquors, 24. 
canoeing, 102. 
china, 84. 
Chippewa house, 86. 
refusal to get up, 112. 
sugar, 80. 
table cloths, 86. 
Pickerel of Lake Superior, 77. 
Pictured rocks, 122. 
Pike perch, 10. 

where found, 10. 
cut, 76. 
Poaching, 192. 

punishment for, 193. 
Point Judith, 150. 

blue-fish at, 160. 
porgee at, 160. 
snipe at, 159. 
sti-iped bass at, 151. 
Pointe aux Fins, 53. 

Chenes, 53. 
Mines, 109. 
Potatoes, 294. 
Port Huron, 29. 
Pork, fried, 295. 
Protection of fish, 183. 
Potomac, 189, 245. 
Punch, arrack, 302. 

champagne, 802. 
Frank Forester's, 303. 
fish house, 801. 
nondescript, 302. 
pine-apple, 301. 
Porto-Kico, 302. 
regal, 302. 

Reels, 255. 

for bass, 140. 

welding, 257. 
Reel-bands, 255. 
Rice, 296. 
Rock-fish, 138. 



VI 



INDEX. 



Roast birds, 296. 
Rods, 246. 

for salmon, 246. 

for trout, 249. 

rings for, 255. 
Rod ferrules, 253. 

how separated, 254. 

Salmo amefhystus. See Namay- 
cush. 
con finis, 136. 
sincov^et, 138. 
Salmon, boiled, 29T. 

fishing with trout rod, 251. 
flies from Scrope, 215. 
fly-making, 202. 
kippered, 298. 
trout. See Namaycush, 136. 
Sault Ste. Marie, -'4. 

fishing at, 42. 
little rapids, 50. 
rapids, 42. 
trout pond at, 45. 
Silk for tying flies, 199, 212. 
Siskawitz, 63, 138. 
Slick, 153. 
Smoked beef, 291. 
Snapping mackerel, 274. 
Soups, 295. 
South Bay, 161. 
Spinning tackle, 275. 
Sportsmanship, 19, 20. 
Squid, 274. 
Stateroom, 24. 
Ste. Marie river, 83. 
Stop, 204. 
Striking trout, 265. 
Striped bass, 138, 274. 
baits, 149. 
casting menhaden, 139, 

144, 147. 
eel skin, 153. 



Striped bass, fishing adventure, 157. 
' fly-fishing, 139, 140, 142. 

hooks for, 154. 

implements for catch- 
ing, 146, 155. 

localities, 148. 

seasons, 151, 152. 

tackle for, 142. 
Superior fishing, 21. 
Superior, Lake. See Lake Superior. 

Tag, 203. 
Thumb-stall, 155, 
Tinsel, 199. 
Tip, 203. 
Trout, 13. 

cooked on first principles, 298. 

Lake Superior, 14. 

Maine, 14. 

preserving, 90. 

Lake. See Lake Trout, 

flies, 210. 
Truite du Lac. See Namaycush. 
Tying silk, 199, 212. 
Trolling spoons, 275. 
Buels, 276. 

Vails, 149. " 
Vegetables, 297. 
Veil, 21. 
Venison stew, 303. 

Wax, 198, 199,213. 

soft, 214. 
Wajack, 97. 

Webster's chowder, 298. 
White-fish, 12. 

how captured, 46. 
Point, 121. 
Wings, 201, 205, 209. 

mixed, 208. 
Worsted, 199. 



SUPERIOR FISHING. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



Although the shores of our northern coasts, both 
along the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, abound in 
numberless varieties of the finny tribe, and myriads 
of striped bass, cod, mackerel, tautog, herring, shad 
and blue-fish in the Northern States, and salmon, 
sea-trout, and capelin in the British Provinces, visit 
us in their season ; the inland States, with the reserva- 
tion of certain restricted localities, produce few 
varieties, and with a single exception, inferior kinds 
offish. Throughout that vast region west of Penn- 
sylvania, bordering on the great lakes, and stretch- 
ing westward to the Kocky Mountains and north- 
ward to the Canadian boundary, as well as the cen- 
tre of British America not communicating imme- 
diately with the sea or the immense bays of the 
Arctic Territory, there can be found but one, or at 
the most two kinds of fish that are worthy of the 
attention of the epicure or the sportsman. It is true 
that savage pickerel, immense mascallonge, and gi- 
gantic cat-fish he in wait amid long weeds, and em- 
1* 



10 GENERAL REMAEKS. 

bedded in deep mud, a terror to their smaller 
brethren and a prize to the unrefined fisherman who 
looks to the profit to be derived from their heavy 
carcases ; and that other coarse and ill-shapen crea- 
tm-es are taken in the net ; but the only fishes that 
the true angler can regard as objects of sj^ort are 
the pike-2:)erch, and the black bass. 

The pike-perch, which is variously termed the 
pickerel, pike of the lakes, glass-eye, big-eyed pike, 
and pickering, is taken in immense numbers in Lakes 
Erie and Huron, was formerly numerous in the 
Ohio, and inhabits to a greater or less degree the 
ponds or sluggish waters of that section. It is a 
savage fish, biting voraciously^t bait or trolling- 
tackle, and where better fish are scarce, is regarded 
as a piscatory delicacy ; but its play is weak and 
dull, and as it is taken with strong tackle, its capture 
requires neither the skill nor experience that lend 
the princi]3al charm to angling ; and by comparison 
with sea-fish, its flavor is coarse. 

Captured mainly with the all-devouring net, it is 
salted and packed for winter use as our cod or 
mackerel are preserved, and constitutes at Sandusky 
and some other places an important object of com- 
merce. 

The black bass, a fish that, from its abundance in 
their country, Americans may claim as peculiarly 
their own ; a fish that is inferior only to the salmon 
and trout, if even to the latter ; that requires the 
best of tackle and skill in its inveiglement, and exhi- 
bits courage and game qualities of the highest order— 



GENERAL REMARKS. 11 

fairly swarms in tlie iij^per central portion of North 
America. 

In all the lakes, large and small, that dimple the 
rugged surface of Canada ; in the sheets of pure 
water embosomed in the gentle swells of the west- 
ern prairies ; in those inland seas that are enveloped 
by our extensive territory ; and in the numerous 
rivers of the west — the black bass is found by his 
ardent admirers. 

From the confines of Labrador, throughout the 
Canadas, in British America, the Western States, 
and far beyond the Mississippi, there is scarcely a 
stretch of water, whether it be the rapids of the St. 
Lawrence, the sluggish bays of Lakes Ontario and 
Erie, the cold depths of Huron and Superior, or the 
lakelets of the interior, that does not abound with 
this splendid fish. 

Li dull weedy bays he becomes lazy, ugly, and 
ill-flavored ; but in cold or rapid water, or upon 
stony bottom, he acquires a vigor of body and ex- 
cellence of flavor that place him in the first rank of 
piscatorial prizes. 

Although not abundant, if even indigenous in the 
Middle States, he has been extensively introduced ; 
aud finding many of the clear, transj)arent, rocky, 
eastern ponds admirably adapted to his health and 
propagation, he is populating waters that have here- 
tofore produced little besides perch and sun-fish. 
By a fortunate provision of nature, most ponds that 
are not suited to trout are favorable to black 
bass ; and being a hardy fish, able to endure long 



12 GENEEAL EEMAEKS. 

journeys, he is readily transported from place to 
place. The time will soon come when the worthless 
yellow perch will be supplanted by his noble con- 
gener. 

He has been imported even into that semi-detached 
point of New England, Cape Cod, and thrives won- 
derfully in Lake Mahopac, adding much to the at- 
tractions of that favorite watering-place of fashion- 
jaded New Yorkers, and is being generally distri- 
buted among his eastern friends. If not exposed to 
a hot sun, he may be carried a long distance out of 
water, and will often revive when apparently the 
last spark of vitality is extinct. But his natural home 
is north and west of the Middle and Eastern States ; 
there his name is legion, his fame deservedly great, 
and he may be almost said to be the one game fish. 

It is true that among epicures the famous white 
fish of Lakes Huron and Superior, which is also 
found in a more flabby condition in Erie and Onta- 
rio, ranks before either the black bass or the pike- 
perch ; but as he is deceived by neither decoy nor 
bait, he is not worthy of the fisherman's regard. 
To be tasted in perfection, the white fish must be 
eaten fresh from the rapids of Lake Suj^erior, where, 
lying in the eddy below some immovable rock, he is 
taken by the sharp-eyed Indian in the long-handled 
net from out the foaming water, brought immedi- 
ately to land, cooked and placed steammg hot upon 
the table before he has lost the delicious freshness 
of his native element. 

The black bass, however, is in the west what the 



GENERAL REMARKS. 13 

trout is in our eastern brooks — the principal source 
of the angler's enjoyment. 

The rivers that empty into Hudson's Bay are 
ascended by the migratory salmon, but from their 
peculiar character do not furnish fly-fishing except 
for trout. The latter are found in Lake Superior 
and the streams that empty into it, in the tribu- 
taries of the Upper Mississippi, and in the brooks of 
the Alleghany and Rocky Moimtains ; but are not 
generally distributed through the weedy streams of 
the Western States. 

The flat expanse of Ohio is not favorable to the 
existence of that lover of the noisy brook and tum- 
bling torrent ; and streams flowing through marl 
deposits are supposed not to furnish proper food ; so 
that the beauty that we in our eastern homes entice 
from every stream or brooklet from Maine to Penn- 
sylvania, is found rarely, if at all, in Illinois, Indiana, 
Ohio, western Kentucky, and southern Wisconsin ; 
but in the cool depths of Lake Superior and its 
amber-hued tributaries he absolutely swarms. 

In the Upper Mississippi there are black bass and 
mascallonge; in the brooks that, rising amid the 
hills of that region, swell its current, there are trout ; 
in neighboring lakes black bass and perch abound ; 
among the Rocky Mountains are found several spe- 
cies of trout ; and in the waters of Oregon and Cali- 
fornia salmon are plentiful. 

Although the largest trout in the United States 
are taken in Maine, in the Umbagog region, the 
greatest number and the most vigorous are found in 



14 ■ GEKEEAL REMARKS. 

Lake Superior, where fish of two pounds weight 
can be captured to the heart's content. The fish of 
Maine are of rich and strong color, while those of 
Lake Superior have the bright sides and delicate 
tints of the sea-trout. All brook trout, however — 
the genuine salmo fontinalis — have the peculiar 
bright vermilion specks that distinguish them from 
kindred species, and these are distinctly visible upon 
the silver sides of the fish of Lake Superior. 

The innumerable rivers of the State of Maine are 
interwoven together in such a manner that the fish- 
erman, urging his silent canoe with dripping paddle 
or stout pole, gliding beneath the arching boughs 
that shade in gloom the narrow stream, or pushing 
boldly into the open lakes, can pass from one region 
of waters to another, and, making short portages, 
explore in a continuous trip rivers that run north, 
east, and west. To the true sportsman, armed with 
pliant rod and feathered hook for the seduction of 
the merry trout, and trusty rifle loaded with heavy 
ball for the destruction of the lordly moose, nothing 
surpasses the intense enjoyment of wandering amid 
the forest wilds from river to river, threading the 
uninhabited groves, or following the unknown and 
unnamed stream, and leaving to whim or chance, or 
the influence of luck, to determine his final destina- 
tion. Alone with his single guide he is content; 
accompanied by a friend, still better pleased ; in a 
party of associates perfectly happy ; blessed by the 
society of ladies — real ladies and true wood nymphs 
—he is in Elysium. 



GENEEAL EEMARKS. 15 

Or, he may coast the shores of our western 
lakes, where the bright sun sparkles on the rippUng 
surface, and only seek the shade upon the land to 
avoid its heat ; there he may kill the black bass, the 
mascallonge, and in Lake Superior the trout ; flee- 
ing from the approaching storm to some sheltered 
nook, he partakes the inland ocean's varying 
moods, passing the days upon its surface and the 
nights^aniid the neighboring forests; stopping oc- 
casionally to use the light shot-gun and kill a few 
woodcock or partridges, and now and then slaying a 
duck upon the route. 

In the wide world there is no other country so 
propitious to the fisherman as the northern part of 
North America ; it furnishes every variety of sport, 
from the delicate refined fishing of the transparent 
ponds and over-fished trout-jDreserves of Long Island, 
to the coarser and easier sport of killing with large 
flies and heavy rods the countless hosts of Maine, 
the Labrador coast, or Lake Superior; from the 
casting the menhaden bait into the boisterous ocean 
for striped bass, to the trolling amid the Thousand 
Isles of the St. Lawrence for the ugly and powerful 
mascallonge ; from the capture of the noble salmon 
to that of the spirited black bass. In fact, there is 
so much and so good fishing everywhere, that it is dif- 
ficult to give a j)reference or lay out any specific 
directions. Yo-u may go by railroad to Cape Vin- 
cent, and thence by steamboat to Clayton or Alexan- 
dria bay, and fish the St. Lawrence; or take the 
ocean steamer from Boston to Eastport, and thence 



16 GENERAL REMARKS. 

to Calais, and explore the St. Croix River for land- 
locked salmon ; or continue on to St. John, and by rail- 
road and stage or steamer to the Nipisiquit, and kill 
the true sahnon — salmo solar — ^king of fish ; or you 
may take the railroad from Boston to Bethel and 
cross by stage into the Umbagog region of Maine, 
and visit its innumerable lakes with unpronouncea- 
ble names, or may embark on the steamboat at 
Cleveland, and wake up, after two days' tranquil 
voyage, at the Sault Ste. Marie, the outlet of Lake 
Superior ; or you may stop anywhere on any of 
these routes, even out in the ocean, on the way to 
New Brunswick, if you please, Avhere there are pol- 
lock or haddock, and have good fishing. There is 
excellent fishing close to New York city, and better 
still the farther you recede from it. 

It is true the fisherman will not find those refined 
comforts that the more cultivated and densely peo- 
pled districts of Europe afford ; but he will receive 
a hearty welcome and wholesome entertainment at 
the country tavern or the farmer's house. If, how- 
ever, he have youth and tolerable hardihood, he 
should look for no such reception ; but, carrying his 
canvas-home, enjoy the luxury of unrestrained inde- 
pendence, kill and cook his own dinner, and sleep in 
the ^ure air of the wilderness. He will have to sur- 
render a few necessaries that habit has made so, but 
he will be repaid a thousandfold by increased hap- 
piness and improved health ; he will not have ser- 
vants to wait on him, nor desserts or wines to pamper 
him; but he will have his guide to instruct, and 



GENEKAL REMAKKS. 17 

abundant food to support him. He will acquire an 
insight into the mystery of woodcraft, and learn a 
few of its wonders and delights ; he will come to 
rely upon his own stout muscles and sharp eyes, 
and return to the city a renovated being. Or, if 
he have sufficient enthusiasm and high courage, he 
may cast aside all trammels, and taking his rifle or 
rod, salt pork, and hard bread, strike off into the 
trackless forest with no covering to shield him from 
the rain or sun, no floating thing of beauty to bear 
him in its bosom over the water, no store of pro- 
visions to fall back upon if fish do not rise and the 
bullet flies astray ; but bearing bravely up against 
heat and weariness, sleeping, amid the rain and 
storm, wrapped in the heavy coat, catching or kill- 
ing game sufficient for daily food, or going hungry 
till better luck shall interpose. This, indeed, is 
manhood ; and our country, with its vast solitudes, 
its unbroken forests, its network of water-courses, 
its endless chains of lakes, its vast mountains and 
limitless prairies, offers inducements for such a life 
that no other land possesses. 

As pretty full instructions have been given in the 
Game Fish of North America to aid the learner in 
commencing his experiences of camp life, the reader 
who desires such information is referred to that work ; 
but whether he shall go into the solitary wilderness, 
away from man and human habitation, or can only 
tear himself from busmess for a few hours for a fly- 
ing visit to some quiet preserve near the bustling 
city, he should never forget that he is a sportsman, 



18 GENERAL REMARKS. 

and owes the duties of moderation, humanity, par 
tience, and kindness under all circumstances ; that 
he cannot slaughter or poach ; and that, from his pro- 
fession, he should ever be a gentleman. He should 
never forget the words of that most amiable of our 
fraternity — the splendid shot, the skilful an^-ler, the 
genial companion, and the graceful writer, now long 
since gathered to his final resting-place — who was 
known to the public under the name of J. Cypress, 
Jr. : 

" 'No genuine piscator ever tabernacled at Fire- 
place or Stump-pond Avho could not exhibit proofs 
of great natural delicacy and strength of apprehen- 
sion — I mean of things in general, including fish. 
But the vis vivida anvmi, the os magna sonans^ the 
mamis mentis, the divine rapture of the seduction 
of a trout, how few have known the apotheosis ! 
The creative power of genius can make a feather- 
fly live, and move, and have being ; and a wisely 
stricken fish gi^es up ,the ghost in transports. That 
puts me in mind of a story of Ned Locus. ISTed 
swears that he once threw a fly so far and delicately 
and suspendedly, that just as it was dropping upon 
the water, after lying a moment in the scarcely 
moving air as though it knew no law of gravity, 
it actually took life and wings, and would have 
flown away but that an old four-pounder, seeing it 
start, sprang and jumped at it full a foot out of his 
element, and changed the course of the insect's tra- 
vel from the upper air to the bottom of his throat. 
That is one of Ned's, and I do not guarantee it, but 



GENERAL EEMARKS. 19 

such a thing might be. Insects are called mto 
being in a variety of mysterious ways, as all the 
world knows ; for instance, the animalcula that 
appear in the neighborhood of departed horses ; 
and, as Ned says, if death can create life, what is 
the reason a smart man can't ? Good fishermen are 
generally great lawyers ; ecce signa^ Patrick Henry 
and Daniel Webster. I have known this rule, how- 
ever, to have exceptions. But the true sportsman 
is always at least a man of genius and an honest 
man. I have either read or heard some one say, 
and I am sure it is the fact, that there never was an 
instance of a sincere lover of a dog, gun, and rod 
being sent to bridewell or penitentiary .... If I 
were governor and knew a case, I would exert the 
pardoning power without making any inquiry. I 
should determine without waiting to hear a single 
fact that the man was convicted hf means of perjury. 
There is a plain reason for all this. A genuine 
sportsman must possess a combination of virtues 
which will fill him so full that no room can be left 
for sin to squeeze in. He must be an early riser — 
to be which is the beginning of all virtue — ambitious, 
temperate, prudent, patient of toil, fatigue, and dis- 
appointment ; courageous, watchful, intent upon his 
business ; always ready, confident, cool ; kind to his 
dog, civil to the girls, and courteous to his brother 
sportsmen." 

To constitute a sportsman, therefore, it is not suf- 
ficient merely to be able to catch fish ; although a 
very important element in the angler's composition, 



20 GENERAL REMARKS. 

it is not all that is required, nor will it alone entitle 
him to full fellowship with the fraternity. He must 
have higher aspirations and nobler gifts ; he must 
look beyond the mere result to the mode of effect- 
ing it, regarding, perhaps, the means more than the 
end. Any unfair trick or mean advantage he must 
never take, even to fill a vacant creel or empty 
pocket ; he must never slay the crouching bevy, 
huddled in terror before his pointer's nose ; he 
must never resort to the grapple or the noose, no 
matter how provokingly the wary trout, lying mo- 
tionless in the clear water, may disdain his choicest 
flies ; and, when the nature of the fish pursued 
induces it to accept the imitation, he can use the 
natural bait, only in extreme cases and at great risk 
to his reputation. The noblest of fish, the mighty 
salmon, refuses bait utterly, and only with the most 
artistic tackle and the greatest skill can he be 
taken ; the trout, which ranks second to the salmon, 
demands an almost equal perfection of both, and in 
his true season, the genial days of spring and sum- 
mer, scorns every allurement but the tempting fly. 
The black bass prefers the fly, but will take the 
trolling-spoon, and even bait, at all seasons ; whereas 
the fish of lesser station give a preference to bait, or 
accept it alone. This order of precedence suffici- 
ently proves what every thorough sportsman will 
endorse — that bait-fishing, although an art of intri- 
cacy and difficulty, is altogether inferior to the 
science of fly-fishing ; and that the man who merely 
follows it without higher aspiration, and uses a 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



21 



worm equally for the beautiful trout and the hideous 
cat-fish, cannot claim to be a sportsman. Occasion- 
ally there is a person who will use the bait with 
wonderful ability, and entice the reluctant fish 
against their will to an unwished-for meal ; but he 
never experiences the higher pleasures of his pur- 
suit — his enjoyment in making a neat and killing fly, 
his satisfaction at its success, his delight in putting 
it properly upon the water, and his gratification 
when with it and his frail tackle he shall have over- 
come the fierce and stubborn prey. Therefore to 
his many other qualities, the true sportsman must 
add a thorough knowledge of fly-fishing, and only 
can the use of artificial fish or fly, or casting the 
menhaden bait for bass, be termed supeeior fishing. 




TUB! FIRST VEIL. 



22 LAKE SUPERIOR. 



CHAPTER I. 

LAKE SUPERIOR. 

Don Pedro is descended from one of what we in 
our young country call tlie old and highly-respecta- 
ble families, and having been nurtured amid the 
refinements and luxuries of life, is one of the most 
gentlemanly men imaginable. At the public rooms 
of a hotel, in the halls, on the piazza, in the saloon 
of a steamboat, he can never pass a lady, though she 
be a perfect stranger, without in the most defer- 
ential manner removing his hat. To this reverence 
for the fair sex he adds an easy elegance towards 
his own, that at once commands attention and 
respect. 

Never having taken an active share in the world's 
affairs, his abilities, which are far above the average, 
have lain dormant or run to criticising art or com- 
mitting poetry ; and he is rather apt to discuss very 
small matters with a minuteness and persistency 
that important ones scarcely merit. 

He had travelled Europe, of course, had shot 
quail and taken trout in Long Island, fired at croco- 
diles on the Nile and jackals in the desert ; and 
although probably the greatest exposure of his life 
had been damp sheets at a country inn, and his 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 23 

severest hardship the findmg his claret sour or 
being «ompelled twice in one day to eat of the same 
kind of game, he was now seized with a sporting 
mania, and determined to rough it in the woods. 
An unsafe companion, perhaps, the reader may- 
think ; but it is not always the roughest men who 
have the most pluck, nor those accustomed to the 
commonest fare who grumble the least when offered 
still coarser, and there is truth in the words of wor- 
thy Tom Draw : " Give me a raal gentleman, one 
as sleeps soft and eats high, and drinks highest 
kind, to stand roughing it." 

So we discussed matters over a comfortable din- 
ner, with the aid of a couple of bottles of claret, 
one of champagne, and a little brandy ; and Don 
concluded he would as lief eat salt pork as wood- 
cock, and ship biscuit as French rolls. He was 
anxious to examine my list of camp articles, and was 
quite ready to do away with a large part of them ; 
but finally determined to leave that matter to me, 
holding me strictly responsible for carrying any 
unnecessary effeminate luxuries. The discussion 
was not a short one, but this happy decision being 
arrived at, I was perfectly satisfied. 

We met by appointment a few days later at the 
Angler House, in that thriving, active town of Cleve- 
land, which seems to be drawing to itself the busi- 
ness of the other cities of Lake Erie, and, cannibal- 
like, to be growing fat on their exhausted lives. It 
is a thoroughly American city, and, like all our 
cities, doubtless has the handsomest street in 



24 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

the world, for so we were assured by the citi- 
zens. 

A large part of the trade of Cleveland is with the 
mines of Lake Superior, and steamers leave almost 
daily for that region, carrying a miscellaneous as- 
sortment of the necessaries of life, and returning 
laden with copper and iron ore. Not content, how- 
ever, with this unexciting freight, these vessels pro- 
pose to carry excursion parties round the lakes, and 
are all, if their advertisements are to be believed, 
supplied with brass bands, and every luxury of the 
season. 

In Cleveland we intended to purchase such ardent 
sj)irits as we might require, and Don commenced : 

" Now as to this question of liquor, I should like 
to have your views concerning kind and quantity ?" 
^ " Well, I expect we will be in the woods twenty 
days, and have made my computations on that basis ; 
so we will need a case of liquor, and as you prefer 
brandy, brandy let it be." 

" No, no ; by no means," responded Don ; '' do not 
let my predilections influence you ; besides, a dozen 
bottles seems a good deal. If we were gone twenty- 
four days it would be just a pint a day, or a half- 
pint apiece — rather severe, considering we expect 
to rough it." 

" You know we have to give the men some occa- 
sionally, and then we will meet other parties and 
have mutual good-luck to drink. It will not be an 
over-supply, though we can make it less if you say 
so ; I myself drink little when in the woods." 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 25 

" I believe that," replied Don, ironically ; " and 
considering how well I know you, it was hardly 
worth while to mention it. But this is a serious 
question, for we can get nothing drinkable after 
leaving Cleveland; and if we have to do what 
you say, do you not think we shall run short? 
I want plenty of everything, and it would be 
better to take a dozen and a half, if there is a 
doubt." 

" There is no doubt ; but if " 

" If you say there is no doubt, that is sufficient ; 
but I am surprised you should give the men expen- 
sive brandy, when they would probably prefer a 
coarser article." 

" Of course, we will take a common whiskey for 
the men ; but occasionally while using the flask our- 
selves we will naturally pass it to them." 

" Ah, yes ; I understand. But, really, I am not 
satisfied it should be all brandy ; you must not ex- 
pect to have the same comforts you would in the 
city, and if you will take my advice, you will have 
at least part whiskey." 

" But you prefer brandy, and one is as easy to 
carry as the other." 

" Really, now, you must not consult my wishes ; 
in fact, although I admit a slight preference for 
brandy, many persons prefer whiskey. Before you 
decide, it would be well to examine the matter tho- 
roughly ; and as we are now at the store, you must 
make up your mind promptly." 

This conversation had taken place as we were 
2 



26 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

walking from the hotel to an establishment that 
had been recommended to us. 

" Kemember," continued Don, " you must act for 
the joint interest, and there are several ;points well 
worth considering. In the first place, whiskey is 
much cheaper ; then it is probably purer than the 
brandy you buy here ; if a bottle should be broken 
the loss is less " 

" Certainly ; if you would be equally content, I 
should arrange it difierently." 

" How often must I tell you not to consider me, 
and I am decidedly pleased at your change of views. 
Now, putting aside any supposed preference on my 
part, what proportions would you suggest ?" 

"Nine of whiskey to three of brandy." 

" Ah," gasped Don, losing his breath at the sud- 
denness of this response, " have you given the mat- 
ter sufficient consideration? You have not even 
ascertained the price ;" and then turning to the 
clerk, he asked : " How do you sell your best whis- 
key ?» 

" Eight dollars a dozen, and brandy two dollars 
a bottle." 

" Nine bottles of whiskey would be six dollars," 
I calculated aloud, " and six for the brandy, make 
twelve. Have them packed and delivered on board 
the City of Cleveland promptly at half-past seven, 
because she leaves at eight," 

" But are you satisfied ?" cried Don in an agony 
of horror at such a want of discussion ; " have you 
examined all the bearings of the change ? Can it 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 27 

be packed in time ? You know whiskey does not 
go as far as brandy. Are you sure you have 
enough ? Is there no question about that being 
the best proportion? "Would you not prefer all 
whiskey ? In case of Sickness, may we not need 
more brandy ? What is the best mode of packing 
it ? Is it sure to be at the boat punctually ?" 

" That is the clerk's affair ; if it is there it will be 
paid for, and if not it won't. Let's look at the 
town ; come," and I dragged him off just in time to 
avoid a dozen new propositions, and as many unan- 
swerable questions, leaving the clerk, bottle in hand, 
looking the image of despair at the avalanche of 
mqairies that had burst upon him. 

After strolling about for several hours we reached 
the boat, and found the case of liquor waiting for 
us, and proceeded to select our stateroom. This 
matter rose at once to a serious question in Don's 
eyes. I resolved to leave it entii'ely to him, confi- 
dent that his elegant manner would impress the 
steward. He at once devoted his entire attention 
to it, flitting from place to place in the forward and 
after cabins with the steward at his side, pointing 
out defects here, suggesting changes there, popping 
in and out of doors, describing his foreign expe- 
riences and the prime necessity of comfortable quar- 
ters, turning down the sheets, peering into cracks, 
feeling the pillows, casting a suspicious eye upon 
blankets, dissatisfied with all, and finally resolved 
to take one which could not be examined at the 
time for want of the key, but which the steward, 



28 LAKE SUPERIOK. 

who had been a respectful and sympathetic listener, 
assured him had none of the defects he had pointed 
out. 

The immaculate stateroom was engaged, the boat 
pushed off, the key was obtdined, and lo and behold ! 
if it had none of these specified defects, it had ano- 
ther — one of the wooden supports, a huge beam 
eighteen inches broad, passed directly up through 
the foot of both the berths, reducing them to four 
feet six inches in length. When Don made this 
discovery his face was a study for his friends the 
artists ; anger could not do justice to the occasion ; 
des-pair, bewilderment, horror, astonishment, seemed 
blended, with a lurking suspicion that the sympa- 
thetic steward had been making game of him. He 
rushed to the office, could find nothing of the stew- 
ard, but was informed that all the other staterooms 
were engaged. 

However, after supper, the officials relented and 
gave us another room, enjoying mightily their joke, 
as I always believed it to be, although Don never 
could be brought to admit that they could by any 
possibility have dared to make fun of him, and in- 
sisted it was a blunder of that " stupid steward." 

We reached Detroit by five o'clock of the follow- 
ing morning, and as the boat for some wise reason 
remained there till two in the afternoon, we strolled 
round the city. It is a promising place, and has the 
finest street in the world, so the citizens assured us, 
called Jefferson Avenue. The market was well sup- 
plied with fish, and among them sturgeon, cut into 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 29 

slabs of yellow, flabby flesh ; pale Mackinaw salmon, 
and darker ones from Lake Superior ; white fish, 
the best of which were sold for six cents a pound ; 
lake mullet, black and white bass, yellow and white 
perch, sun-fish, northern pickerel, suckers, pike-perch, 
cat-fish, and lake shad or lake sheepshead, called in 
French Bossu^ or humpback — a very appropriate 
appellation. These fish had been for the most part 
taken in nets ; but black bass are captured abun- 
dantly with the rod in the small lakes near Detroit, 
and in Canada opposite. The principal articles sold 
in the market, however, were strawberries and 
hoop-skirts ; the latter being so numerous that Don 
remarked incidentally that the inhabitants absolutely 
skirt the market. This he evidently intended as a 
joke. 

A few miles beyond Detroit is situated its pre- 
tentious rival. Port Huron, which is also a flourish- 
ing town, and has the handsomest street in the world ; 
and opposite Port Huron are Sarnia and Point Ed- 
wards, the termini of the Grand Trunk and the 
Great Western railroads of Canada. We touched 
at Point Edwards at about eleven o'clock in the 
evening. 

America is a great place ; the people are upright, 
virtuous, honest, enterprising, energetic, brave, in- 
telligent, charitable and public spirited; they are 
the finest race of men and the most beautiful and 
cultivated women in the world, but they do not know 
how to dine. To gobble down one's victuals, regard- 
less of digestion or decency, is not eating like Chris- 



80 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

tians but feeding like animals ; to thrust one's fork 
or spoon into the dish appropriated to holding food 
for all, is uncleanly and offensive ; to eat peas with 
a knife is bad enough, but to use it immediately 
afterwards to cut butter from the butter-plate is 
absolutely disgusting. No one who does these 
things is either a lady or a gentlemen ; and no one 
who cannot keep his arms at his side while cutting 
his meat is fit to eat at a public table. 

There was one gentleman, as he would claim to 
be considered, who sat near us, who, although he 
had a proper silver fork, endeavored religiously to 
eat his peas on a knife that happened to have a small 
point. This operation, always difficult and danger- 
ous, became, from the formation of the blade, almost 
impossible ; the peas rolled off at every attempt, and 
the unfortunate rarely succeeded in carrying to his 
mouth more than one at a time, till finally reduced 
to despair, he seized a table-spoon, and with it de- 
voured them in great mouthfuls. 

The dinner was quite a lively scene ; the ladies, 
although there was plenty of room, were smuggled 
in clandestinely before the gong was sounded, and 
the men, dreading the horrors of a second table, 
rushed for the remaining chairs, standing behind 
and guarding them religiously, but politely waiting 
till the ladies were seated. There was plenty of 
food, but each man immediately collected such deli- 
cacies as were near him, and he imagined he might 
need, and transferred them to his plate or a small 
saucer. There was abundance of time, no one hav- 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 31 

ing the slightest prospect of occupation after dinner, 
and yet every man, woman, and child set to work eat- 
ing as though they expected at any moment to be 
dragged away and condemned to weeks of starvation. 
The waiters, like all Americanized Irishmen, were 
independent if not insolent, and we overheard the 
following discourse between one of them and an 
unhappy wretch who had come in late and could 
obtain no attendance. The suffering individual 
began rapping' on his plate with the knife tiU he 
attracted the notice of a passing waiter: 

Waiter. — " Well, what are you making that noise 
for?" 

Starving Individual. — " I should like to have 
something to eat." 

Waiter. — "Isn't there plenty to eat all round you?" 
Individual. — " But I want some meat." 
Waiter. — "Why don't you ask for it, then? 
What do you want ?" 

Individual. — " What kinds are there ?" 
Waiter. — " Why there's beefsteak, to be sure." 
Individual. — " I would like to have some beef- 
steak." 

Waiter. — "Why didn't you say so, then, at first ? 
Give me your plate if you expect me to get it for you." 
It was their habit to empty the water left in the 
glasses back into the pitchers, and when I asked 
one for a glass of water, he drank out of it himself 
first, and then handed it to me. On another occa- 
sion he helped Don by giving him the tumbler a 
stranger had just used. 



82 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

These little peculiarities all round encouraged 
sociability ; you could hardly refuse to know a man 
when you had drunk out of the same glass and 
eaten from the same dish with him, and a lady 
naturally felt at home with a gentleman whose ribs 
she had been punching for half an hour. The pro- 
gress of the meal, however, was somewhat checkered, 
not a few of the guests clamoring for their dessert 
ere the others had finished their soup. The only 
explanation of this haste was from the graceful, 
stewardess, who was the redeeming feature of the 
boat, and who said the waiters were in a hurry so 
as to have it over as soon as possible. It might 
aptly be said of the Americans : " They eat to live." 

Beyond Lake St. Clair the land on both sides of 
the river is low, and, especially on the Canadian side, 
adorned with cultivated farms and dotted with pic- 
turesque country houses. A half mile barely sepa- 
rates the two nations ; and, in case of war, with our 
present improved artillery, the intervening river 
would hardly form an obstacle to mutual destruc- 
tion, till the once smiling fields and happy homes 
would be one vast scene of desolation. 

Emerging into Lake Huron we began to perceive 
the efiects of the cool water and consequent conden- 
sation of the warmer atmosphere ; a heavy fog lay 
upon the surface, at first not higher than our upper 
deck, but creeping up as the night advanced. On 
one side a beautiful fog-bow with faint and delicate 
colors, spanned the sky, while on the other a bril- 
liant ring of sparkling silver surrounded the moon. 



LAKE SUPERIOR. SB 

The water that was an opaque, milky white at 
Cleveland, had been growing darker, greener, and 
clearer, attaining perfect purity ere we reached 
Lake Superior, and exposing to view objects many 
feet below its surface,. 

Having reached Detour, which is a growing place 
and will soon have the finest street in the worlds at 
eight o'clock at night, and the channel through Lake 
George being intricate, the captain announced we 
could proceed no further that evening, and the pas- 
sengers generally went ashore to explore the coun- 
try. The land is low around Detour, though there 
are clusters of pretty islands, and here for the first 
did we see the rocky northern formation and the 
evergreen trees. 

Lake George, which is at the head of Lake Huron, 
or more properly a part of it, is shallow and muddy. 
A channel, narrow and of but twelve feet in depth, 
has been dredged and marked out with stakes ; it is 
crooked, and will scarcely admit of two vessels pass- 
ing abreast. The shoal mud-flats were visible in 
every direction, and our wheels stirred up the bot- 
tom as we passed. 

It was with a feeling of relief that we escaped 
from this lake into the deeper and rapid waters of 
the river Ste. Marie, whose eddying current and 
bold shores were a pleasant sight, to our eyes wearied 
with the sameness of lake travel. We had been 
three nights and almost three days caged in our 
floating home, and were delighted at the near 
approach to our destination. We had not heard 
2* 



34 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

the band mentioned in the advertisements, but sup- 
plied its place with a crazy piano strummed by 
amateur performers ; we had not partaken of all the 
luxuries of the season, but had appreciated with 
sharpened appetites the substantials that were fur- 
nished ; we had not enjoyed the company of fair 
excursionists from Cleveland or Detroit, but had 
formed the acquaintance of one or two kind beings 
in crinoline ; we had not had an exciting trip, but 
had been transported safely and slowly, and at 
eight o'clock that morning we reached the Sault 
Ste. Marie. 

A weary waste of waters lay behind ; our track 
lengthening into the dim distance, stretched out to 
many thousand miles ; we had crossed deep streams, 
had burrowed through high mountains, had darted, 
along broad meadows, had swept across majestic 
lakes, had ascended mighty rivers ; less than a 
hundred years ago many months would have been 
expended in completing this same journey ; serious 
difficulties would have had to be overcome and dan- 
gers encountered ; we had condensed a year of our 
grandfathers' lives into three days ; we had spanned 
one-half our great continent, fled from the metropo- 
lis of civilization to the native haunts of the savage ; 
'in :^ct, gone back from the nineteenth into the 
eighteenth century. We had been carried by steam 
upon the track of iron or in the moving palace ; in 
future we were to embark in the voyageur's bateau, 
and be propelled by oars or sail. Heretofore the 
unnatural wants of civilized life had been indulged 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 85 

and gratified ; hereafter, tlie commonest home, the 
simplest covering, the j)lainest food, was to be our 
lot ; hitherto we had been in the land where gold 
was the talisman that commanded ten thousand 
slaves ; henceforth we were to trust ourselves to 
kindly nature and our own capabilities. Glorious 
were our anticipation^ from the change. Our ves- 
sel, the unromantic City of Cleveland^ which, from 
the beginning, had been lumbering along at the 
moderate rate of ten miles an hour without ever 
being betrayed into the slightest evidence of enthu- 
siasm, seemed overjoyed at her approaching arrival, 
and dressed herself in her gala costume of variegat- 
ed bunting. She whistled merrily to announce to 
the inhabitants that once more she was to bless their 
sight, and tried to get up a little extra steam for a 
final burst. The travellers' crowded her decks, the 
natives collected along shore ; the former waved 
their handkerchiefs, the latter, probably having no 
handkerchiefs, swung their hats ; and amid all this 
excitement we came merrily up to the dock. 

The Sault, or Soo, as the name of the village is 
always pronounced, is not a large place, but proved 
to be larger than I expected ; our dull plodding east- 
ern people can hardly imagine how rapidly the 
west is growing in wealth and population ; already 
our little western brother is claiming to be a man, 
and if we are not careful will be too much for us 
some day. This newly planted village, almost at 
the extreme northwest of American civilization, in- 
cluded an excellent hotel, a dozen stores, and at 



S6 LAKE SUPEEIOR. 

least a hundred houses and workshops. Already 
the belles of lUinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minne- 
sota were congregating at it to enjoy its cool tem- 
perature and invigorating atmosphere, and ere many 
years are passed it will be a fashionable watering- 
place, thronged with the elite of western society. 
Its principal hotel, the Chippewa House, is admir- 
ably kept, and doubtless is the pioneer of an infi- 
nitely more gorgeous affair. 

Don, however, who is rather particular and not 
much accustomed to the free and easy mode of 
country life, was somewhat disappointed with our 
room. It had the great desideratum of plenty 
of fresh air, for it was of the whole width of the 
house and had windows back and front, but Don 
was surprised that people who kept hotels did not 
acquaint themselves with the other important requi- 
sites, 

"There, for instance, you observe the water 
pitcher has a cracked handle. Some time you will 
undertake to lift it and it will give way, and then 
there is no telling what it may ruin; the trunk, 
even, may receive the entire contents." 

" But, Don, that is an old crack ; it has evidently 
stood several years, and will doubtless last the few 
days we are here." 

"Not so certain; and just observe that disgusting 
nick in the wash-basin, it will always look dirty even 
if it is not." 

" Don, you are wrong there ; that is a good sign, 
it proves the basin may nick but won't break." 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 



87 



" Then there is no slop-basin ; now what do you 
suppose we are to do without a slop-basin?" 

" Why, throw the slops out of the window, to be 



sure.' 



" You would hardly call that decent in New York ; 
and not only may they fall on some passer-by, but 
the window is too small to permit it conveniently. 
Just look at this pillow ; it is long, to be sure, but 
not stuffed with half feathers enough ; what am I 
to do with such an apology for a pillow as this ?" 

" Why, double it up, of course." 

" I see," he concluded, in a resigned tone, " you 
are making a joke of these matters, so we will not 
pursue the subject; but now that we are on shore 
fresh from our voyage, I wish to ask seriously your 
deliberate opinion whether you would advise any 
one to take the trip just for the pleasure of the jour- 
ney itself?" 




««:!^;;5«-^ 



88 LAKE SUPEEIOll. 



CHAPTER n. 

In the northern part of Mmnesota is the greatest 
elevation of what geologists denominate the eastern 
water-shed of our continent ; lying almost exactly 
in the centre of North America, here the streams 
that flow to the north, east, and south, find their 
source. Lake Superior, that adjoins this section on 
the east, is the chief of those magnificent lakes that 
empty from. one another into the St. Lawrence, and 
finally wash the coast of Labrador. The Mississippi, 
taking its rise in the same region and but a few miles 
away, flows southward with ever increasing volume 
to the Gulf of Mexico, and then sweeping around 
Florida and through the Atlantic, rejoins the waters 
of Lake Superior off Newfoundland ; while the 
Ked River of the North, pursuing a contrary course, 
empties into Hudson's Bay and thence into the 
Northern Ocean. These waters, starting from little 
rills and springs scarcely .more than a few steps 
apart, after wandering thousands of miles asunder 
come together and commingle in the Northern Atlan- 
tic Ocean. 

Here were the famous Lidian portages. One from 
Lake Superior through Pigeon River, Sturgeon Lake, 
and Rainy River into the Lake of the Woods, has 
served to locate the boundary between two great 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 39 

nations, and is the native highway between Hudson's 
River and Hudson's Bay. Another through Brule 
River leads into the head waters of the Mississippi, 
and thence, by ascending the Missouri, to the rivers 
that empty into the Pacific Ocean. These portages 
were traversed year after year^by the aboriginal in- 
habitants, who have left their tracks in the well-worn 
paths that are still followed by the voyageurs, and 
are suggestive of easy grades to those who wish to 
bind our country together by paddle-wheel and rail- 
road track. 

Lake Superior, with a surface six hundred feet 
above, and a bottom three hundred feet below 
the level of the sea, stretches out in vastness and 
splendor five hundred miles long by nearly two hun- 
dred broad, and holds in its bosom islands that would 
make respectable kingdoms in the old world. On 
the southern shore its sandstone rocks are worn by 
the waves and storms into fantastic shapes, imitative 
of ancient castles or modern vessels, or are hollowed 
out into deep caverns ; on the north the bolder shore 
rises into rugged mountains whose face has been 
seamed by the moving ice-drift of former ages. In 
the country bordering upon the south are located 
inexhaustible mines of copper and iron of immense 
value ; and along the northern coast are found agates 
and precious stones. 

A hundred streams pour their contents into the 
great lake which, from its enormous size and depth, 
retaining the temperature of winter through the 
summer months, empties its clear, cold, transparent 



40 LAKE SUPEKIOE. 

waters into the river Ste. Marie. Not producing a 
'large variety of iish, those that dwell in its bosom 
are the finest of their species. The speckled trout, 
the Mackinaw salmon, and the black bass are large 
and vigorous; sturgeons are j^lentiful, although 
valueless except as an article of food ; and the white 
fish are the daintiest fresh-water fish in the world. 

The forests are mainly composed of the sombre 
evergreen trees, relieved frequently by the beautiful 
white birch, and along the low lands by a consider- 
able number of other varieties ; the shore on the 
north is a bold bluff five hundred feet high, but 
where it descends to the water it forms occasionally 
tracts of fertile interval ; on the south the coast is 
more level and apparently more sterile. Both shores 
are as yet totally uncultivated, and from the severity 
of the winters will probably long so remain. 

Immediately upon our arrival at the Sault we 
made our preparations for a campaign against the 
fish, and engaged, as guides Joseph Le Sayre, a 
Melicete chief, and Alexis Biron, a Canadian half- 
breed. Old Joe, as we called him, though he did 
not seem over forty, was a fine looking Indian with 
an erect graceful shape, and pleasant open counte- 
nance ; Alexis, though apparently a good man, was 
not so prepossessing. 

We embarked in a large, stout canoe, and paddling 
across the broken water at the foot of the fall, com- 
menced fishing the streams into which the river is 
divided by numerous islands near the opposite shore. 
A small, brown caddis fly, or, scientifically speaking, 



LAKE SUPEEIOK. 41 

phryganea^ covered the water in myriads, was 
wafted along in clouds by the wind, and settled upon 
the trees and rocks everywhere. Knowing that they 
changed from a species of worm on rising to the 
surface, we selected clear, calm spots and endea- 
vored to examine the process. It was too rapid for 
human eyesight ; a spot of transparent water would 
be bare one instant, and the next there would be 
upon its surface two or or three little creatures danc- 
ing about and trying their wings preparatory to a 
bolder flight. We never managed to see the larva, 
but invariably beheld the perfect fly appear instan- 
taneously. 

Their number was incalculable; living ones filled 
the air, were blown along like moving sand, were 
carried into our faces so that we could scarcely face 
the wind, and settled upon our boat; dead ones 
covered the water in all directions, were devoured 
by the fish, especially the lake herring, and were col- 
lected by the current in masses resembling sea- 
weed. They were nearly the color of common 
brown paper throughout, legs, wings, and. body 
being of much the same hue. They arrive every 
year at the same time and in about the same num- 
bers. They last a week or so, and although we 
found them the entire length of our subsequent trip, 
their favorite locality seemed to be the Sault. They 
are used as bait for the lake herring, which I believe 
is identical with the cisco, an excellent fish closely 
resembling, and in my opinion equal, if not superior 
to the white fish. 



42 LAKE SUPERIOK. 

The trout usually begin taking the artificial fly in 
the early part of July, but although we had been 
warned that they were not as yet rising this year, 
we had no anticipation of the wretched luck that 
awaited us. Notwithstanding the water seemed 
promising, and deep, dark holes, beautiful eddies, 
and lively pools indicated success ; and notwithstand- 
ing continual changes of our flies, we only killed 
three small fish. Perhaps the numerous natural in- 
sects, or the larvm from which they were metamor- 
phosed, proved a sufficient and preferable food ; we 
could not induce the trout to rise, and did not even 
see them breaking. 

Exploring all the little streams of the Canadian 
side, hoping at every cast to improve our luck, we 
worked our way slowly and arduously, for the water 
was unusually low, against the current, and steadily 
ascending with the strenuous efforts of our canoe 
men, who used stout poles for the purpose, we at 
last emerged above the islands and at the head of 
the rapids. 

Here the water of the lake, confined to the narrow 
channel, chafed uneasily in tiny wavelets, as though 
conscious of the approaching struggle. Above, the 
river stretched away to the westward, evidently 
from a considerable elevation but comparatively 
smooth ; nearer, it was rushing like a mill-race ; below 
it was broken into white waves, huge cascades, and 
seething rapids. How wonderful is the change in 
the appearance of water lying calmly in the lake, 
hurrying rapidly but silently down a smooth slope, 



LAKE SUPERIOK. 43 

lashed into billows by the wind, toiling among rocks 
or leaping over falls — but above all is it peculiar and 
terrible in passing through broken descents ! See it 
glide so deceitfully smooth, but with such resistless 
power toward the rapids ; notice its tiny innocent 
ripples and childlike murmurs at your feet ; see the 
pretty rolling undulations. Trust yourself to its 
seductions. N'ow it has you in its fearful current, 
now it drags you along, it clasps you struggling and 
shrieking in its fierce embrace ; it throws its white 
arms around you, lashes itself into a fury, whirls you 
about in its powerful eddies, sinks you down in its 
mighty whirlpools, dashes you against the rocks, 
drags you along the jagged bottom, tosses you over 
the cascades, and finally flings you torn, bleeding, 
disfigured, and lifeless to the bottom of the tranquil 
pool at its base. 

In the sunlight it resembles liquid crystal ; flow- 
ing along placidly, transparent as the diamond, it 
sweeps upon the rocky shoals and flies up in a 
shower of purest pearls, alternately revealing or 
hiding some monstrous gem to which it lends its re- 
flective brilliancy ; over the limestone it is opal, over 
yellow rocks it becomes onyx, over the red, ruby or 
garnet, over the green, emerald. 

Bending and waving in ever varying beauty of 
form, but carrying in its bosom or reflecting from its 
foam the sunlight fire, a thousand times intensified, 
of precious stones. 

As the day was well advanced, we determined 
to trust ourselves to the unreliable element and run 



44 LAKE SUPERIOK. 

the rapids, which is one of the favorite amusements 
of the adventurous. This can be made as dangerous 
as desirable, according to the selection of route, 
either near shore, where there is only the chance of 
an upset and a few bruises, or through the centre, 
where it is certain death. We chose a middle 
course, but as near the centre as our guides, who 
were not venturesome, would go. Crossing over 
above the broken water to the American shore, the 
large, high-sided, but fragile canoe was headed down 
stream, giving us a view of the prospect before us. 
Great ridges of white foam stretched at intervals 
almost from shore to shore, while the darker water 
was broken into heavy waves, curling up stream and 
ready to pour into the boat as it should rush down- 
wards through them. At first the canoe settled 
gently, making us plainly feel that we were going 
down hill ; then it gathered way as the current in- 
creased,' a,nd went plunging on its course. The 
waves flew from our bow or leaped over in upon us, 
the rocks glided by racing up stream, whirlpools 
twisted us from side to side ; we sprang over tiny 
cascades or darted down slopes deep and dark, or 
shallow and feathery white with foam ; we rushed 
upon rocks where inevitable destruction seemed 
awaiting us, and the shore, trees, and houses went 
tearing by ; past the little island at the head of the 
rapids, past the main fall, through foam and spray, 
we dashed headlong, till the few minutes required 
for the entire descent being exhausted, we glided 
calmly and quietly into the water below. 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 45 

Looking back it seemed as thoiigli we gazed upon 
a hill covered with water instead of up a river, and 
nothing but practical experience would ^ponvince a 
tyro that it could be navigated in safety with a birch 
canoe. Exhilarated with the pleasurable sensations 
we had enjoyed, and satisfied that the trout were 
not in a rising mood that day at least, we returned 
to the hotel. 

The few fish we had killed were, transferred by 
our host to the cook, and reappeared on table in fine 
style. After discussing an excellent dinner and 
comparing notes with the other fishermen present, 
we accepted the invitation of the canal superinten- 
dent to examine the locks and visit his pond of tame 
trout. We found the canal an admirable structure, 
expensively built, and of a size to accommodate the 
largest steamers that navigate Lake Superior ; not, 
however, being skilful in works of that character, 
we felt more interest in the trout pond. 

The latter was quite small, fed by a pipe from the 
canal that cast up a jet in the centre, and was filled 
with over a hundred of fine, large, active trout, 
weighing from one to four pounds. They were 
wonderfully gentle, would feed from the hand, allow 
any one to scratch their sides and lift them from the 
water, and if one end of the food was held fast, they 
would tug like good fellows at the other. When 
we held a piece of bait between the first finger and 
thumb, and at the same time presented the little 
finger, they would frequently seize the latter by 
mistake ; and although on that occasion they let go 



46 LAKE SUPERIOE. 

instantly without doing the least harm, the proprie- 
tor said when hungry they occasionally left the 
marks of tjieir teeth. It was extremely interesting 
to watch their movements, as their appetites were 
never allowed to become ravenous and produce 
quarrelling among themselves. They were magnifi- 
cent fellows, swimming about majestically, and com- 
ing to the surface in a fearless way to return the 
gaze of the spectators. 

The trout were mostly taken in nets from the 
canal when the water was drawn off. They had 
been known to spawn, trying to ascend the jet for 
that purpose, and depositing their eggs where the 
water fell ; but the spawn either was eaten by their 
comrades or failed to hatch. Under no circum- 
stances, however, would the young have lived 
among such rapacious giants. 

Having amused ourselves sufficiently with the 
tame trout, we turned our attention once more to 
their wilder brethren ; but as no better success 
attended us than in the morning, we returned early 
to superintend the capture of the white-fish. Every 
morning and evening the Indians and half-breeds 
are seen by pairs in their canoes, one wielding a 
large net with a long wooden handle, and the other 
plying the jDaddle. Ascending cautiously to the 
eddy below some prominent rock, the net-man in 
the bow peers into the troubled water, and having 
caught sight of the white-fish lying securely in his 
haven of rest, casts the net over him. The moment 
the net touches the water the other ceases paddling, 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 47 

and allows the canoe to settle back with the cur- 
rent ; the fish thus entangled in the meshes is lifted 
out and thrown into the boat. The net is about 
four feet across, the rim is of wood, and the handle 
is bent at the end so as to afford a secure hold. 
Nothing but the practised eye of the native can dis- 
tinguish, amid the foam and spray and broken water, 
the dim and varying outline of the fish. Many are 
frequently taken at one cast, and they are sold, 
large and small, for five cents apiece. 

Although undoubtedly delicious eating, fresh from 
the cold water of Lake Superior, white-fish are not 
superior in flavor to their smaller brethren, the lake 
herring. The latter, so closely resembling the for- 
mer as to be only distinguishable by the sharper 
projection of the lower jaw, are taken with the na- 
tural brown fly that has been already described. 
Differing little, if at all, from the cisco of Lake 
Ontario, they rise with a bolder leap at the natural 
fly, and their break is as vigorous and determined 
as that of the trout. They do not seem, except on 
rare occasions, to take the artificial fly, but with 
bait not only furnish pleasant sport for ladies, but 
an admirable dish for the table. 

The lake herring is found in many of the extensive 
waters of the West, but being smaller than the 
white-fish, is overshadowed by the reputation of the 
latter. It is a pretty fish, bites freely and plays 
well, but having to contend in delicacy against the 
white-fish, and in vigor against the trout, it does 
not receive the attention it deserves. Early in July 



48 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

they collect at the Sault in millions, filling every 
eddy of the rapids and crowding the canal, and de- 
vour the dead and living phryganidoe. Later they 
retire to deep water. 

It being now apparent that the trout did not in- 
tend to accept our delusions as veritable insects, 
and as fish of three and four pounds had been taken 
with minnow, much to our envy, Don determined 
to try the bait. There are several species of min- 
now captured from among the rocks of the Sault 
in shrimp-nets, but the favorite is a peculiarly shaped 
fish bearing the euphonious title of cock-a-doosh. 
What the name signifies, either in French or Chip- 
pewa, we could not ascertain ; but the broad, round 
head and slim tail remind one of a pollywog, which 
of all created things it most resembles. The cock- 
a-doosh is a muscular little fellow, and not appear- 
ing to mind a hook thrust through him, furnishes a 
lively, attractive bait. 

At the suggestion of some gentlemen who were 
old habitues, and who recommended to us a couple 
of men that had accompanied them on former trips 
up the lake, we had determined to discard our pre- 
sent boatmen, although without cause of complaint, 
and engage Frank and Charley Biron to accompany 
us into the woods. We had laid in our supplies of 
food, all of which, except the tent, the liquor, solidi- 
fied milk, and a few especial luxuries were purchased 
in the village stores, had made our preparation for 
departure in the morning, and devoted the afternoon 
to fishing the little rapids. 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 49 

Our present men had already ascertained our in- 
tended change, and we had hardly pushed off before 
old Joe began upon us. He spoke French, the lan- 
guage of communication between the natives and 
travellers, and never shall I forget his reproachful 
tone and manner. Perfectly respectful, he pictured 
our enormities and unkindness in such eloquent 
words that we hung our heads in shame. 

Never before had he, the chief of the Melicetes, 
acquainted as he was with the whole length of the 
lake, been displaced for younger men. The young 
men were good voyageurs — that he did not dispute ; 
but was it reasonable to prefer them to one who had 
lived his whole life in the woods, or was it right to 
brand with disgrace a guide who for two days had 
served us, as we admitted, faithfully ? Unusual, in- 
deed, was it to change the men, and should he have 
this discredit cast upon him ? He had not been en- 
gaged positively to accompany us ; but had we not 
spoken to him and asked his advice ? "Was he not 
justified in expecting it? He was sorry and hurt 
that we should have done so ; he had been pleased 
with us ; he knew that he could have pleased us ; 
but could he rest under such an imputation ? Were 
younger men better boatmen than he ? Were they 
better acquainted with the lake ? Were we dis- 
satisfied with him so far? Why, then, had we 
changed, unless indeed to offend him? His feel- 
ings were wounded, and he felt sure that we must 
regret our injustice. If we said that we had been 
. advised to do so, it must have been by persons who 

3 



50 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

did not know him or had some unworthy object; 
and should we have done so great a wrong without 
more inquiry? "No, messieurs/ this is the first 
time I have been turned away for younger men." 

It is impossible to give his language, for Joe, al- 
though usually taciturn, burst forth with an over- 
whelming flow of eloquence, showed us our conduct 
in such a light that we would gladly have retracted, 
and compelled us to take refuge behind our ignorance 
of the customs of the place. Disclaiming the intention 
to cast a slur upon him, we expressed the fullest con- 
fidence in his abilities, and said that were it not too 
late we should cancel our other engagement. Some- 
what mollified, the pleasant expression returned to 
the old brave's countenance ere we reached the 
little rapids, where the excitement . of fishing di- 
verted our attention. 

Don here met with his first success with the cock- 
^-doosh, striking and killing, after a protracted strug- 
gle of twenty minutes, a fine trout of three pounds. 
The rapidity of the current, which flowed deep and 
strong without an eddy, gave the fish a great advan- 
tage, and tried the rod to the utmost. The hook, 
from its size taking a better hold than the diminu- 
tive fly-hooks, remained firm and' enabled Don at 
last to bring his prey to the.net — and kill our first 
large fish in the waters of Lake SujDerior. 

Having fished faithfully, but in vain, for a mate, 
although we saw in a deep pool quite a number as 
large or larger, and as my fly would still only at- 
tract the small ones, we headed once more up-stream. 



LAKE SUPEEIOR. 51 

The two miles' return was slower than our descent, 
and gave us time to admire the scenery, to watch 
the vessels passing through the narrow channel of 
the shallow river, and note the decaying woodwork 
of the old fort that once did good service against 
the Indian, but would be a ludicrous structure in 
modern warfare. On arriving at the Sault the finish- 
ing touches were given to our preparations for camp- 
ing out, and a wagon engaged to transport our 
stores by land to the head of the canal, where our 
new men and their barge were to meet us early on 
the morrow. We parted with Joe, who, however, 
that evening and next morning heaped coals of fire 
on our heads by doing us innumerable little favors 
in the way of suggestions, advice, and physical aid. 

The day following, as the last article was placed 
upon the cart, we were informed that neither 
eggs nor bread was to be had in the village. Our 
horror, or rather mine — for Don little knew what a 
dearth of eggs implied — can only be appreciated by 
an experienced cook ; bread was a minor matter, as 
Ave had ship-biscuit, but eggs were indispensable. 
It appeared on inquiry that the baker had been heat- 
ing his own coppers, as the fast men express it, in- 
stead of his oven, and was now sleeping off the efiTects 
of his debauch ; and hens, feeling their importance in 
that desolate country, only lay on special occasions. 

While we were in a condition bordering upon 
despair, uncertain whether to proceed, the steamer 
Illinois hove in sight. Never w^as an arrival more 
opportune, for one of the numerous ventures of the 



62 LAKE SUPERIOfi. 

bar-keepers on these vessels is to supply the country 
with eggs, and recollections of the baskets full that 
we had seen hanging from the cross-beams of the 
City of Cleveland came vividly to our minds. Leav- 
ing Don to purchase the eggs, I pushed on with the 
baggage. The former boarded the steamer as soon 
as she touched the dock, and, rushing to the bar- 
keeper, demanded eight dozen eggs. He was in- 
formed, however, that they were sold by the basket, 
which contained fifteen dozen, and he could have no 
less. Then it was that Don rose to the importance 
of the occasion. Others might have doubted, hesi- 
tated, or failed to make the purchase at all ; but he, 
without a pause, grasped the basket, laid down the 
money, and started for the head of the canal. Fif- 
teen dozen eggs were a perfect mine of comfort ; 
in their golden bosoms lay undeveloped numberless 
egg-noggs, delicious cakes, and appetizing omelets, 
and Don's character was established for ever. 

The wind, strong and contrary, was dashing foam- 
crested waves against the piers of the canal, threat- 
ening to make our journey a slow one ; our goods 
and chattels were safely and carefully stowed, fill- 
ing the barge as nearly as was desirable ; we had 
even cast off and commenced our voyage, when 
through the canal we saw approaching a tug-boat. 
She was called the Bacchus^ and, like her jolly pro- 
totype, willingly lent us her aid ; and giving us a 
tow, made our old boat, for that occasion at least, a 
fast one. She tore her way along, crushing the 
waves with her high bow, throwing a mass of white 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 53 

water from her propeller, and carrying ns in fine 
style past Pointe aux JPins^ nearly ten miles of our 
route. 

Having left her, as our course now lay more to 
the northward, we managed with hard rowing, very 
different from our previous gallant progress, to 
reach Pointe aux Chenes or Oak Point, in time 
for dinner. Looming up at the distance of about 
six miles, rose abruptly to the height of five hun- 
dred feet the bold promontory of Gros Cap^ its 
round head enveloped in driving fog. A scanty 
verdure of pines and firs covering its sides, it stood 
out a bold landmark, being the first high land of the 
northern shore. 

About half-way between Pointe aux Chines and 
Gros Cap hes a low and narrow island, covered with 
small trees and underbrush, furnishing an admirable 
camping-ground ; and the wind increasing as the 
fog descended, crawling slowly down the mountain 
sides, we could advance no further. 

All day long canoes filled with Indians, taking 
advantage of the to them favorable wind, passed us 
on their way to a grand council at Mitane. It was 
wonderful where they could all come from; the 
men seemed to carry their wives, papooses, and 
household gods, and were accompanied by number- 
less dogs that ran along the shore ; one party con- 
sisted of a squaw seated at the bow to paddle, ano- 
ther in the stern to steer, and a brave amidships 
fast asleep ; the canoe was propelled by a blanket, 
used as a sail. The Indians exhibit great skill in 



54 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

sailing so unsteady a boat as a canoe ; although to 
ordinary mortals it is difficult to stand up in one, 
they manage to sail them in heavy winds and over 
a rough sea. This art appears to be peculiar to 
them, for I have never known it attempted by the 
Canadian voyageurs, nor even by the half-breeds. 

The fogs rising from the cold waters of Lake Su- 
perior are frequent and dense ; on this occasion the 
moisture settled upon the bushes, fell from the 
leaves in large drops, and dampened the boughs of 
which our bed was to be composed. For this latter 
purpose, as there was no sapin on- the island, we 
were compelled to use oak sprouts, a substitute 
that Don at first, attracted by its beauty and appa- 
rent comfort, approved, but which, when before 
morning the leaves were pressed flat and the stems 
made unpleasantly prominent, he anathematized 
vigorously. 

After supper we wandered along the shore, pick- 
ing up the queerly shaped and oddly colored stones 
that abound on the Canadian side of the lake. No 
agates noi* amethysts, and none of the really beauti- 
ful pebbles, are to be obtained south of Michipicot- 
ten, but everywhere are curious specimens to be 
found. Carried, as it is supposed, by the ice-drift 
of former ages from their natural beds, crushed by 
the moving mass, and rounded by the beating waves, 
the hardest only survive, while the strangest and 
most incongruous varieties are collected together. 
Meeting with novel specimens at every step, we 
were continually rejecting what we had just selected, 



LAKE SUPERIOE. 55 

till we hardly knew which were really the most re- 
markable. 

Next morning broke with the weather the same, 
but towards mid-day the wind fell. Don had been 
gratified with his meals thus far, but on being offer- 
ed rice for breakfast, said that it reminded him of 
his European experience, where rice was not con- 
sidered fit to eat without being filled with raisins 
and having goose-gravy for sauce. In fact, he did 
not think he could eat it without these accompani- 
ments. Before the trip was over, however, he found 
that in spite of European authority and the absence 
of goose-gravy, rice was quite palatable. 

By hard work we reached the camping-ground at 
Gros Cap, a small island almost adjoining the main 
land, which is too rocky and precipitous to locate a 
tent, and having arranged our camp amid the driv- 
ing fog, essayed the fishing off the point. Fortune 
did not smile upon us ; and having killed one fish 
for supper, we were glad to escape from the cold, 
damp air, and return to the warmth of the fire. 

The appearance of the rocks in this region is re- 
markable. Not only are they veined with metal 
and quartz, running in long seams, but they are cut 
up by deep furrows, at the bottom of which are 
strewn broken and pounded stones. The origin of 
the furrows, or scratches as the geologists term 
them, has been differently explained ; some writers 
attributing them to the action of water, and others, 
with probably the correct theory, alleging they were 
made by the ice-drift of former ages. The ice-drift 



56 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

was the accumulation of suow and ice in the neigh- 
borhood of the north pole, its increasing masses 
forcing their way towards warmer latitudes, and 
carrying with them immense rocks and boulders. 
The drift formerly extended far beyond its present 
limits, pouring into the deep water of Lake Supe- 
rior, and must have crushed and riven whatever lay 
in its course — cutting deep furrows whenever the 
boulders it was carrying came in contact with the 
unyielding native rock. The character of the rifts, 
which do not resemble the effects of water, their 
uniformity of direction, and the pounded character 
of the stones, confirm this view. 

Whatever may have been their origin, they are 
troublesome to cross, forming as they do abrupt gul- 
lies running from high up the hills into the deep 
water, and occurring at every few hundred feet. 
But where they pass below the surface, they and the 
natural caverns worn by the waves form admira- 
ble retreats for the timid trout. For the whole 
length of the shore, the broken rocks lie piled up 
in the water, and at some places extend far out ; as 
they furnish the best locality for sport, although 
generally the angler has but a short distance to cast, 
occasionally a long stretch has to be made. The wind 
is frequently adverse or across his line, and as he 
must reach a particular spot in spite of all obstacles, 
his capabilities are often put to the seveiest test. 

To encounter and overcome difficulty is the true 
sportsman's delight, almost as much so as to see 
the silver-sided beauties of the lake rise suddenly 



LAKE SUPEEIOK. 57 

from their fairy caverns and seize his fly, to feel 
them struggling and fighting for their liberty, jump- 
ing again and again, and finally to watch their fading 
brilliancy enveloped in the fatal net. The trout of 
this region resemble the sea-trout of the Gulf of 
St. Lawrence in their habits and appearance. They 
have the same pearly whiteness on their sides and 
bellies, heightened by the minute specks of carmine ; 
the same vigor and dauntless courage, the same savage 
voracity, and the same way of springing out of wa- 
ter when they are on the line. They rise unexpect- 
edly with a rapidity resembling fury, grasp their 
object with determination, and on being struck, fight 
bravely. Their flesh, also, is equally red and firm, 
their fins of a pure color but not quite so delicate, 
and their shape identically similar. Of course they 
could never have ascended from the sea, but are in- 
debted for these peculiarities to the pureness of the 
water of the lake, as the sea-trout are to that of the 
gulf And whereas the sea-trout lose their bril- 
liancy on ascending the rivers, so do these of the 
lake — a fact which we afterwards ascertained — be- 
coming even darker colored than their brethren of 
the lower regions, and obtaining the reputation 
among the ignorant natives, from their changed ap- 
pearance, of being poisonous. 

Another party of fishermen had located on Gros 
Cap island, our tents being pitched within a few 
yards of each other, and we passed a pleasant even- 
ing in their society ; our pipes — for I had after 
much difficulty persuaded Don that cigars were 
3* 



58 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

made for the club-house, not the wilderness — suggest- 
ed inquiries about the native weed called Kinnikin- 
nick, which the Indians in their grand peace councils 
used before the advent of the white man, and which 
in a perverted form had lent its name to the tobacco 
we were using. It appeared that the identical weed 
was growing close around us, and although the In- 
dians of their party laughed with contempt at any- 
one using it when pure tobacco was to be had, we 
induced them to collect and prepare a small quan- 
tity. 

The preparation consists of drying it thoroughly 
by the fire until it is brown, and then pulverizing it 
by friction in a cloth. The operation was soon 
completed, but, although we tried it mixed and un- 
adulterated both, we were forced to admit it had 
absolutely no flavor whatever. Perhaps it wanted 
more time or care in the curing, as the men com- 
plained of the dampness. 

Our new-made acquaintances left next morning 
early, and Don and myself took a late breakfast and 
were joined by an unexpected visitor. A quantity 
of cold potatoes and ship-biscuit, intended for our 
men's breakfast, had been temporarily placed on a 
neighboring log, and while we were partaking of 
warmer edibles, a few steps off a pretty little ground 
squirrel ran out, chirruped a merry good-morning, 
and proceeded as a matter of right to help himself to 
the cold victuals. He was sleek, bright-colored, and 
fat, evidently accustomed to many such repasts ; 
and after trying a piece of potato and finding it 



LAKE SUPEEIOE. 



59 



was good, he took up a whole one in his mouth and 
ran off with it. It was larger than his head, and 
looked droll enough in his mouth, stretched to the 
utmost ; he had not gone far before his sharp teeth 
cut through, and taking out a piece, let the rest fall. 
Not taking the trouble to pick it up, he returned 
with another little cry to the dish, and this time 
chancing on a smaller one, carried it off in safety. 

Having stowed that away, he returned, and being 
satiated with potatoes, tasted the biscuit, which had 
been soaked in grease and was tender. The piece 
he selected had a larger piece hanging to it, and to 
see him pull the latter off with his fore-paws was 
highly amusing. The biscuit, on trial, proving ac- 
ceptable, with a little flirt and another cry, he 
seized quite a large piece, and with a glance at us 
as much as to say, " I am only taking a fair rent for 
the use of my land," he ran off with it in the same 
Uvely, confident way. It was a beautiful sight, and 
we stopped our meal to watch his pranks. 




MOUTH OF THE AGAWA. 



60 LAKE SUPERIOB. 



CHAPTER III. 

Gros Cap is the first of the rocky hills thnt form 
the northern boundary of Lake Superior, ;ind which, 
with the higher chain of mountains further inland, 
divide the streams that run to the southward from 
those that empty into Hudson's Bay. The Hud- 
son's Bay Company, that wonderful commercial under- 
taking that had stretched its aims across our con- 
tinent, and which, after the destruction of the bearer, 
has lost its influence and been shorn of its power, 
has stations along the coast of Lake Superior at the 
mouths of the various rivers of importance. At 
the Sault on the Michipicotten, the Pic, and the 
ISTeepigon, they have planted their trading posts, and 
although their glory has departed, they are still 
kept up and do some business. These stations were 
convenient stopping-places for the voyageurs, and 
were located at the mouths of rivers, of which the 
fountain-heads communicated by a portage with a 
different system of waters. For instance, the Michi- 
picotten is the Indian highway to Hudson's Bay, and 
both on it and on the rivers adjoining that empty 
into the latter, has the great Company its stations. 
The study of the results that that purely commercia 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 61 

undertaking has achieved, from the Saguenay Kiver 
throughout the British Provinces to tlie far West, 
is an instructive evidence of the power of man un- 
restricted and untrammelled. In various ways it 
has left its mark for ages. 

Gros Cap is a perpendicular bluff, shooting straight 
up from the water, and with its rocky clefts just 
furnishing foothold for the active fisherman ; pieces 
of rock seem to have been .broken off and thrown 
into the water at its base, and among these trout 
are numerous. No place furnishes a pleasanter 
camping-ground, although not directly at the fish- 
ing ground, and few spots afford better sport. As 
fortune was not particularly propitious, and our 
journey was indefinitely extensive, we took advan- 
tage of a calm that had settled down upon the lake 
to push on across Goulais Bay, which lay as calm 
as a mirror, bathed in the glorious reflection of a 
cloudless sky. 

Farther out. Isle Parisienne seemed floating on 
the water, while inside of us the bleak sides of the 
abrupt hills were reflected in long wavy lines. The 
sun had climbed the eastern sky and poured down a 
flood of warmth and light in strange contrast with 
the tempestuous weather of several days. The 
atmosphere, instead of being dense with impenetra- 
ble fog, was exquisitely transparent, and the water, 
that perfect ornament to every landscape, stretched 
away as far as the eye could reach. 

" Dark behind it rose the forest, 

■ Rose the black and gloomy piae-trees ; 



62 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

Ro55e the firs with cones upon them, 
Bright before it beat the weather, 
Beat the clear and sunny water, 
Beat the shining Big-Sea- Water." 

Such a day is admirably adapted for taking lake- 
trout, and no sooner had we entered the bay than our 
lines were arranged for the purpose. 

The Namaycush — pronounced more nearly like 
Namaegoose, with the accent on the second syllable — 
the Salmo Amethystus of our ichthyologists, the 
Truite du Lac of the Canadian, and the Mackinaw 
Salmon of the American, inhabits Lake Superior 
throughout its length and breadth, is captured along 
the shores and in the bays, and when smoked, fur- 
nishes the principal food of the Indian. It prefers a 
rocky uneven bottom, where the water is neither ex- 
cessively deep nor very shallow, and during the 
summer months bites readily at any of the ordinary 
trolling-spoons. An ivory imitation-fish is especial- 
ly attractive ; and an old-fashioned bowl-spoon, 
elongated with bright tin on one side and red on 
the other, is in general use. 

Whenever the Indian is paddling in his canoe 
over any of the favorite localities, he trolls with' the 
latter bait, which is sold at the stores in the Sault ; 
and to make it imitate more accurately the herring 
it is intended to represent, he attaches the line to his 
paddle. By this means a peculiar darting motion is 
given to the spoon which is said to be very fatal, 
Buel's patent spoons, whether with feathers or with- 
out, are successful ; and so little particular is this 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 63 

« 

voracious fish, that he will bite at a white rag 
attached to the bare hook. 

Once struck, however, and he surrenders without 
an effort, appearing even to swim gently forward, 
which conduct, although natural in a man under 
similar circumstances, is not expected in a fish. So 
slight is his resistance that it is difficult at times to 
tell whether he is on the line or not ; and although, 
of course, on approaching close to the boat he flounces 
and struggles a little before he can be gaffed, he 
affords the sportsman no excitement whatever. He 
may also be taken in deep water with a long line 
and sinker, with the lake-herring for bait, and is thus 
during the fall captured of enormous size. 

He is found occasionally to weigh seventy pounds, 
and perhaps more ; a handsome fish to look at, he is . 
also excellent to eat, and with the peculiar confor- 
mation of the trout, he combines its elegance and 
the rich redness of flesh of the true salmon. He is 
rarely taken by trolling to exceed ten pounds in 
weight, and on the north shore more frequently of 
five or six ; but of that size is an invaluable addition 
to the fisherman's larder. He may be either boiled 
or broiled, and makes a capital foundation for a 
chowder. He must by no means be confounded 
with the siskawit, which is only taken in the upper 
part of the lake, rarely exceeds seven pounds, and is 
so fat as almost to dissolve in the frying-pan — at 
least we were thus informed by our guides, for we 
took none ourselves. 

The best time to take them is in calm weather, 



64 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

because on such days they rise nearer the surface 
and are able to see the bait farther. If the wind is 
strong or the boat moving rapidly, they will not 
bite ; in fact, the boat should not be sailed or rowed 
faster than three miles an hour, and a common 
hand-line of fifty or a hundred yards is sufficiently 
good tackle. They are persecuted by the aborigines, 
who capture vast numbers for winter use; but we 
never caught more than a dozen in a day, as we 
never fished exclusively for them. 

Goulais Bay is one of their favorite haunts, and 
we were soon made aware of their presence. I had 
the pleasure of striking the first, and felt some 
anxiety, it being a new species to us, till he was 
safely gaffed and landed. He weighed four pounds 
and a half, and we fairly feasted our eyes over his 
beautiful shape. Don soon had one still larger, and 
we took six while crossing from the headland of 
Gros Cap to Goulais Point. They diflfered a little 
in size, the largest being six pounds, but not in 
shape or appearance, and were in their way as ex- 
quisite a collection of fish as ever were taken. 

We could doubtless have killed many more if we 
had wished to remain for the purpose ; but the Har- 
mony River, our destination, was a long way ofi", 
and the sun was running across the sky at a rapid rate. 

We stopped to dine at Goulais Point, and took 
advantage of the opportunity to bathe; the water, 
close to the shore where it was shallow and had 
been heated by the sun's rays, was warm, but occa- 
sionally streaks cold enough almost to freeze the 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 65 

blood were encountered. The Narasegoose, on being 
prepared for the pot, were found to contain spawn 
well advanced, and were exceedingly fat. 

The dinner being over and the men rested, our 
slow progress was resumed, and we passed Maple 
Island — Isle aux Arahes — into Batchawaung Bay. 
The sun in his downward coarse marked out a 
broad golden path upon the still surface of the lake, 
vividly recalling to our minds that most exquisite 
picture in "Hiawatha" of the chieftain's departure 
for the "land of the Hereafter;" which now had 
the charm of a peculiar interest, as we were floating 
upon the very waters where the scene is laid : 

" And the evening sun, descending, 
Set the clouds on fire with redness ; 
Burned the broad sky, like a prairie, 
Left upon the level water 
One long track and trail of splendor, 
Down whose stream, as down a river, 
Westward, westward Hiawatha 
Sailed into the fiery sunset, 
Sailed into the purple vapors, 
Sailed into the dusk of evening." 

Thus dreamily murmured Don, as with his back 
against our biscuit-barrel, and his feet upon our 
butter-tub, he gazed upon the dying glories of the 
orb of day ; and now, as the last glimmering spark 
sank below the horizon, the strange pale light of 
the north crept over the sky; the stillness of death 
brooded upon land and water, and ephemerce^ issuing 
from their larva state, burst into winged life and 



66 LAKE SUPERIOK. ^ 

followed the course of our boat. Fronting us was 
the long island called by the same name as the bay 
beyond it, and towering far above were the moun- 
tains of the mainland, cleft in two places where the 
Harmony and Batchawaung Rivers had broken their 
way to the lake ; to the right extended the bay for 
many miles, and to the left stretched in its immen- 
sity the trackless " Gitche-Gumee, Big-Sea- Water." 
Darkness approaches slowly in northern latitudes; 
our oarsmen were weary, and our pace was mode- 
rate, but we had to make a long detour to reach 
the river beyond, and it was determined to camp on 
the island. Reaching the upper end, we landed, and 
our men searched for a favorable spot. One pecu- 
liarity of a voyageur is his antipathy to camping at 
an unusual place ; warned by his experience of the 
inconveniences that attend such a course, the diffi- 
culty of making a comfortable bed, properly secur- 
ing the tent, and arranging the fire, he will endure 
considerable extra labor to reach a spot with which 
he is acquainted. Therefore we were not surprised 
when Frank reappeared and announced the imprac- 
ticability of establishing our camp. 

The day had been hard for the men ; the weather 
had been hot and the journey long, and it gave me 
pleasure to hear Don propose that we should row 
for a time. He was rather unaccustomed to the ex- 
ercise, but kept up bravely as we continued our 
course round the island and across towards the main 
shore. The pale light still filled the atmosphere to 
that degree that, at nine o'clock, we could read fine 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 67 

print ; the ephemerce still followed us with fluttering 
wings, and whisks extended ; the death-like calmness 
still rested on the unruffled water. At the point of 
the island were four pretty little islets clustered to- 
gether, lending additional beauty to the bay em- 
bosomed in majestic hills. The way seemed length- 
ened out amazingly, and our arms were weary, and 
the night had closed in darkness ere we reached the 
mouth of the Harmony River, the Auchipoiscehie 
of the Indians. Here we found an old camping- 
ground, almost a cleared field in size, and the rem- 
nants of several wigwams. Collecting the poles of 
the latter, we built a rousing fire that illuminated 
the surrounding forest and cast a lurid glow upon 
our active men. By its light we landed our stores, 
pitched our tent, established our quarters, and re- 
tired to rest. 

We had made a long thirty-five miles, against 
imfavorable circumstances, felt exhausted but 
thankful we had arrived at last, and taking a little 
refreshment, drank good-luck to ourselves and the 
Harmony. Just as I was about closing my eyes to 
sublunary things, Don remarked : 

" There is a serious question I have to put to you. 
To-day's journey has probably been exceptionally 
slow and tedious, but how long, under ordinary cir- 
cumstances, do you think it would require to come 
from New York to the Harmony River?" 

Next morning early having broiled a ISTamsegoose 
for breakfast and found it both well cooked and ex- 
cellent, we ascended the level water that extends 



68 LAKE SUPERIOE. 

for some distance from the mouth of the river. The 
day was fair and the wind favorable, the birds sang 
their welcome merrily, and the trees bowed grace- 
fully as we passed. An old duck and her young 
were startled by our approach, and fled, making such 
use of their powerful legs as to outstrip us readily. 
A short distance beyond the smooth water, and 
almost three miles from the lake, we came to the 
lower fall or pitch of the stream, which had become 
quite narrow, and there we made our camp. 

It was a lovely spot ; the thick trees formed a 
dense shade over our tent, the trembling cascade fur- 
nished continual music ; opposite, a rivulet of purest 
ice-water emptied into the stream ; in front the 
river spread out into a broad, quiet pool ; while 
through intervening trees and bushes we could catch 
glimpses of the high falls a few hundred yards above 
us. Previous camps had been located at the same 
place, and a path had been cut to the rock close by, 
from which we could, fish below the cascade. 

Hastily disembarking such things as we had brought 
with us, impatient to explore the river, and tanta- 
lized by half glimpses of the cataract beyond, we 
crossed the stream in the barge, and guided by 
Frank, followed a well-worn pathway in the woods. 
A few hundred steps brought us to the bank, where 
a glorious prospect greeted us. The stream, rising 
among the summits of the hills, pitched down 
over a slanting precipice, seaming its brown face with 
irregular, delicate lines of silver. Issuing from a 
mountain gorge, so far above as to be scarcely dis- 



LAKE SUPERIOK. 69 

tinguishable, it leaped over pitch after pitch, collect- 
ing in deep pools at every break, and whirling round 
or dashing over huge boulders in its course, till de- 
scending the last shute, the main body tumbled in 
one heavy wave into a dark, turbid pool at the base. 
From either shore the evergreen trees projected, lean- 
ing over as if to protect the uneasy river, and a 
heavy trunk, originally torn up and borne along by a 
spring freshet, had lodged upon a broad, bare, rocky 
island in the centre. Numerous little rills branched 
off from the main stream, and forming innumerable 
fantastic miniature water-falls, sought different paths 
to the lower level. The rocks were bare and mostly 
of a dull brown, constituting a strong contrast to 
the green fringing of the mountain sides, and were 
worn away by the immense volumes of water and 
ice that forced their way through in early spring 
and swept them clear of vegetation. 

At the foot of the lower shute there was a seeth- 
ing cauldron, white with foam near the fall, and 
black from its great depth in the centre ; below, the 
wearied stream rushed down a stretch of rapids, and 
sought temporary relief in a broad, quiet basin that 
reached to the first of the cascades, close to our 
camp, and in which the water seemed absolutely 
motionless. 

Hardly giving ourselves time to note and enjoy 
the beauties of this most romantic spot, and urged 
on by the sportsman's instinct that looks to the at- 
tractions of nature, after having tried for game, we 
commenced casting in the rapids. Our efforts were 



70 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

rewarded, and we landed some fine fish of from one 
to two pounds, and had grand sport Avith them in 
the current and eddies. Putting on for a tail-fly a 
large, full, brown hackle with scarlet body and sil- 
ver twist, I at last advanced cautiously towards the 
black pool below the shute, and keeping well out of 
sight, cast it across the boiling water ; it fell among 
a mass of whirling foam, but being swept down, 
passed over a portion of the dark water, and was 
ravenously seized by a fine trout. 

Astounded at the unexpected consequence, the 
frightened fish darted hither and thither about the 
pool until, finding his efforts to free himself vain, he 
rushed towards the rapids below. Here the rod and 
line were powerless to restrain him, and he made 
the reel spin as I followed along the rocks. How- 
ever, with care he was guided through the dangers 
of the foaming current, strong eddies, and project- 
ing rocks, and was led after a long battle into a spot 
of comparative quiet, near an old dead tree that 
projected over the water. 

Being myself prevented from approaching by the 
branches of this tree, I instructed Frank to watch 
a good chance and use the net ; but never shall I 
forget his look as, after two or three vain attempts 
— for he was not altogether skilful — the upper fly 
caught in his shirt, and the trout, which must have 
weighed at least three pounds, made a furious dash, 
parted the leader, and escaped. As though it was 
my fault, instead of his awkwardness, Frank turned 
towards me with a most reproachful expression, 



LAKE SUPERIOK. Yl 

and without a word came to have the hook cut from 
his shirt, intimating that if I would hook him, I 
could not expect to land large trout. 

The fishing below the falls of the Harmony was 
absolute perfection ; although the fish were not 
large, that is, not of monstrous size, and rarely ex- 
ceeded two pounds, they invariably after a short 
struggle took to the rapids, and compelled us to 
follow them, at a pace and under difficulties that 
brought salmon-fishing vividly to our recollection. 
The steady roar of the falls and the picturesque 
wildness of the scene added to the intensity of the 
enjoyment, and served to occupy our minds when 
not employed upon our sport. Of easy access from 
our camp, we afterwards ordinarily visited them 
alone, leaving the men to attend to numerous house- 
hold duties, and had the advantage of being able 
to wait upon ourselves. 

The hours passed quickly by, and when the calls 
of appetite could no longer be resisted, we found 
ourselves with two dozen splendid trout, which 
were the selection from nearly a hundred. Well 
satisfied, we hastened back to our camping-ground 
which Charley had been busily arranging, and while 
the men were preparing dinner, we tried the cascade 
near by. 

This was certainly a fortunate day, for Pedro 
soon hooked a splendid black bass and landed him, 
after a vigoi-ous struggle of half an hour ; he 
weighed three pounds and three-quarters, and was 
thoroughly game, and established a fact that Pro- 



72 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

fessor Agassiz seems to doubt — that black bass in- 
habit Lake Superior. The guides recognised him 
at once as an old acquaintance, and called him by 
the familiar name of achigon. 

After a hearty dinner we descended to the mouth 
of the river for the residue of our camping articles, 
and while returning I trolled with a small Buel's 
spoon. Unfortunately happening to espy a duck 
upon the water, I laid down my rod to take the 
gun, when a black bass struck, nearly jerking the 
rod out of the bo-at, and with a mad spring carried 
off my bait and casting line, while the duck, alarmed 
at the noise, flew away amid the confusion. 

Having landed our load, and leaving the men to 
complete the camp, Don and myself hastened back 
to the scene of our morning's sport to renew, and 
even surpass, our previous enjoyment ; for after kill- 
ing several fine fish in the strong water in splendid 
style, I struck one of great weight in my favorite 
pool. He soon took to the rapids, and stopping in 
an eddy, fouled the line without escaping. In vain 
all means were tried to clear the line without alarm- 
ing the fish ; it had caught on the further side of a 
large stone, and could only be reached from a rock 
that projected its smooth, slippery surface above the 
current at some distance from the shore. Rendered 
desperate, and summoning all my courage, I crept 
out into the rushing stream, and, supported by the 
handle to the landing-net, succeeded in reaching 
this dangerous location. 

No sooner was the line free than the fish again 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 73 

darted down stream, taking out the line at a tremen- 
dous rate. I turned to follow, but what was my 
dismay to find that, although I had managed to get 
from the shore to the rock, the current followed 
such a direction that I could not return. On went 
the fish ; in vain I sounded the bottom with the 
handle of the landing-net, or felt for a safe footing, 
or essayed to jump ; the water was too threatening 
and the risk too great. Still the fish kept on, and I 
had just made up my mind to take the leap for his 
life or my own, when the line became exhausted 
and the leader parted. Slowly I wound in the line, 
sadly picturing the supposable weight of the escaped 
fish, and depressed in spirit, managed with Don's 
assistance to regain terra firma. The only consola- 
tion was in the thought that we had secured full as 
many fish as we could use. 

That night was extremely warm, and one of the 
most trying I ever endured in the northern woods ; 
not only were mosquitoes abundant and ferocious, 
but that terrible pest, the sand-fly, existing by my- 
riads in the sandy soil, made merciless attacks upon 
us. The shores of Lake Superior are unpleasantly 
prolific in all the minute torments that are most 
.dreaded by the sportsman. During the day the 
black-fly absolutely swarms, in the evening the sand- 
fly arises from the sand in invisible millions, and at 
night numberless mosquitoes continue the pursuit ; 
repelled, but not dismayed by ointment and lini- 
ment, they wait till it is dried or rubbed ofl", and 
dart upon the exposed part ; they far exceed in 
4 



74 LAKE SUPERIOK. 

numbers their brethren of Kew Brunswick, where 
the rocky soil is less suited to them, and, in spite of 
all defences during hot weather, inflict much misery. 
Don's first idea was to despise their attacks, and, 
disbeUeving the virtues of pennyroyal and creasote, 
stoically to endure the discomfort of the woods 
as a necessary accompaniment to enjoying the 
pleasure; but by the time tea was over he had 
changed his mind, and at bedtime carefully enve- 
loped himself in his veil. 

The thermometer rose to eighty-six in the tent, 

^ and being little lower at midnight, the veils were 
found to be rather suffocating. The moderate tem- 
perature of the northern climate is the great protec- 
tion of the sportsman ; ordinarily in a trip of a 
month there will not be three oppressive days, but 
when the weather is warm and insects numerous, a 
good chance is offered to exhibit courage and jollity. 

• Next morning, when the heat continued, and the sun, 
rising above the hills, shone through the dense fog 
like a globe of fire, Don wore a solemn but patient 
expression of countenance, and fully justified my 
confidence in his endurance. 

The weather during the early season had been 
warm and dry, and the lake was two feet below its 
ordinary level, and although its main body retained 
a cool temperature, the shallows were heated. The 
rivers, on the contrary, that flow into it from the 
north, taking their rise from swamps and shallow 
ponds, not only are tinctured with decaying vegeta- 
tion and are of a rich amber hue, but had absorbed 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 75 

the heat, so that the fish which in our latitude are 
in summer accustomed to desert the lakes for the 
cool spring brooks-, had mostly left the rivers for the 
cooler lake. Only where the water was cooled and 
aerated by a fall, or at the mouth of some trickling 
spring, were they to be found in any numbers. 

I have said that opposite the camp there was 
such a rivulet, and at its mouth, crowded together, 
each striving to get his nose nearest to it, was a fine 
school of large fish. The water of this rivulet must 
have been not far above the freezing point in tem- 
perature, and was delicious drinking, while the main 
stream was nearly tepid. 

Being informed by our guides that there was a 
second fall above the first, and good fishing near it, 
we proceeded, after taking a few fish and a good 
drink from our spring- water rill, to ascend the river. 
We were compelled to make our way through the 
brushes and undergrowth, over the dead ti-ees, 
and among the rocks that covered the shore, and were 
hardly repaid for our labor ; the fall proved to be only 
a small cascade, and though there was a deep fine 
pool at its base which Frank assured us contained 
trout of five pounds, we could not persuade any of 
them to rise. As no fish above the main fall could 
have access to the lake, I felt convinced there were 
none of large size, and the weather continuing warm, 
we returned early to the camp. 

That evening was again devoted to the black 
bass, which took both the fly and spoon greedily, 
and which, when captured, were deposited alive in 



76 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

a pond-hole in the rock, where their appearance and 
motions could be studied to advantage. They were 
not handsome fish, with their broad backs, deep 
bodies, and thick heads ; their extended fins were 
peculiar and characteristic, and their general form, 
fierce red eyes, and large mouths were more indica- 
tive of ferocity than grace. Those that we opened, 
although it was in the month of July, were heavy 
with spawn, and the ova had the appearance of 
being almost ready for deposit, — suggesting the pos- 
sibility that these fish differ from those of the eastern 
country in their spawning season. It is hardly con- 
ceivable that they would carry their eggs till April 
or May of the ensuing year, in which month black 
bass spawn elsewhere ; and if not, their habits must 
be entirely dissimilar. 

The long walk through the sand and mud had 
made our shoes rather unpresentable, restoring along 
the edges the original russet of the leather ; and as 
he was about retiring, Don suggested to me the pro- 
priety in our next trip of bringing with us blacking 
and brushes. 




PIKK-PEBCH. 



LAKE SUPEKIOK. 77 



CHAPTER IV 

ISText morning, the weather being cooler and the 
wind favorable, we took our departure, after having 
captured some fine fish at the falls pool, for the 
Batchawaung River. It was but a short journey 
round a sandspit that projected into the bay, where 
we took a single trout, and we were soon in the 
mouth of the deep dark river. The banks were low 
and of course covered with * trees, most of which 
were of the deciduous character; the water was 
sluggish, and the interval between the bay and dis- 
tant mountain extended several miles. 

We passed an Indian paddling a canoe loaded 
with bark, the sole occupant besides ourselves of the 
quiet stream, and our guides conversed fluently with 
him in the musical Indian tongue. Occasionally a 
brood of ducks, alarmed at our approach, broke the 
oppressive silence with their vigorous efforts to 
escape, and Don, trolling with Buel's spoon for black 
bass, struck and landed a small ill-favored pickerel 
—esox horeus — of some four pounds weight. 

The Batchawaung is the favorite resort for anglers 
who visit the north shore, and being within easy 
access of the Sault — not more than a day's sail with 
favorable weather — is fished to excess. It is a large 
stream, filled with rapids and pools, and usually 



78 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

crowded with trout of immense size ; but the water 
is dark and easily heated, so that the fish often desert 
it for the lake. There is a sameness about the 
Batchawaung, and a want of picturesque effect, that 
is altogether different from the Harmony ; we missed 
the noise of the falhng water, the sight of the pretty 
cascade, when we came to pitch our tent about four 
miles fi-om the mouth, at the first shallow rapids, 
and throughout our whole trip we never saw the 
equal of the romantic Harmony. 

There are but two rivers emptying into Batcha- 
waung Bay that are generally laid down on the 
maps — the Batchawaung and the Chippewa — ^but 
the guides assured us there were four fine streams. 
The location usually given to the Chippewa applies 
well to the Harmony, and it may be they are the 
same river under different names. Our ordinary 
maps of the northern shore of Lake Superior are 
altogether imperfect, and even the charts of the 
Hudson's Bay Company are not entirely accurate. 

Anxious to explore the stream, no sooner was our 
camp pitched and dinner over than we embarked 
and continued the ascent, being poled against the 
current by the two guides, and trying every promis- 
ing spot as we passed. Fish, however, were no- 
where to be found, and disgusted with the heat 
that not only annoyed ourselves but had destroyed 
our sport, we were about giving up, when Frank 
stojDped the boat over against the mouth of a little 
murmuring tributary brook. There were a quantity 
of small stones and large rocks where the rivulet 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 79 

joined the river, and the cast being a long one, I 
extended my line and dropped the fly just where 
the two currents met. It was taken instantly by a 
fish that, after fifteen minutes' vigorous play, was 
landed and found to weigh two and a half pounds. 

That inaugurated our sport, and was followed by 
the capture of at least two dozen magnificent trout,, 
that were not only immense in size, averaging nearly 
three pounds, but were extremely beautiful and un- 
commonly vigorous. Their tints were rich and dark, 
difiering as greatly from the lake fish as the trout 
of the Canadian rivers difier from those of the salt 
water. They fought with great courage and per- 
severance, requiring skill and patience to land ; and 
anxious as we were to take a large one, that is to 
say, one of over four pounds, those of two and 
three pounds were so numerous and voracious that 
we could not effect our object. 

"We landed some by hand and threw many back 
into the water, but, notwithstanding, soon had 
more than we could possibly use. There being no 
reason for our taking any more, and Don having com- 
plained that the cast was inconveniently long on 
account of the imperfections of his rod, I assured 
him I could cast entirely across the pool, and to 
prove it, lengthened my line, and at the first cast 
hooked fast in the rock beyond. N"ot caring to 
break the line, we dropped the boat across the 
stream, and while passing over the pool, beheld the 
bottom literally black with fish. If we had been 
inclined to wanton destruction, we could doubtless 



80 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

have killed a hundred ; but having no means to pot 
or souse them, and knowing that they are com- 
paratively worthless salted or smoked, we had re- 
solved not to kill more than we could eat. 

On the way back to camp we took a long, lean, 
poor, sickly fish, that, if in good order, would have 
reached six pounds, but in its unhealthy state only 
weighed two and a half. 

At supper that evening Don made a formal pro- 
test and complaint, insisting that he would drink no 
more tea till he had white sugar; he entered at 
some length into the characteristics and peculiarities 
of sugar in its various stages, questioned the advan- 
tage of using brown sugar at all, intimated that white 
was the best, most economical, and least bulky, 
advised me in future to take none other, and finally 
having disposed of every conceivable case but his 
own, inquired why, when we had abundance of 
both, he was not allowed the one he preferred, by 
which time I had it out and ready at his hand. He had 
evidently braced himself for a terrible argument, 
seemed somewhat surprised at the want of opposition, 
and after a moment or two began to call in question 
the propriety of opening a new package, when the 
brown sugar was already in use ; that, in fact, al- 
though some people preferred white, and he must 
confess he was among the number, others liked the 
flavor of the dark colored; that little inconveniences 
were the natural concomitants of a sportsman's life ; 
that when a number of bundles were opened they 
were more exposed to dampness — a serious injury to 



LAKE SUPE'KIOR. 81 

sugar — and there were more packages to look after, 
and that he was decidedly of opinion it was unadvisa- 
ble, and that he was entirely willing to go without 
his. tea. By this time the tea was drunk and supper 
ended. 

It is a delightful thing of a cool summer evening 
to sit round a rousing fire that casts its variable 
glare upon the trunks and lower branches of the 
stalwart trees, and gives a ruddy glow to the white 
tent, the dense underbrush, and the kindly faces 
of the honest guides. At such times, while listening 
to wild stories of woodsman's life, that are doubly 
interesting when repeated upon the ground where 
they occurred, a pipe is absolutely delicious. Every 
member of the temporary household selects a rock 
or log, fashions a seat to his satisfaction as best he 
may, and recalls the events of other similar expe- 
ditions for the. edification of his associates. On 
such occasions cigars, which are cumbersome at all 
times, do not seem to answer, and recourse is had to 
the little pouch of Killikinnick which every one 
carries with him; under the joint influence of story 
and tobacco, the time passes quickly away, and the 
hour of bedtime arrives too soon. 

Notwithstanding the summer evenings are usually 
cool above the line of the British Provinces, we 
happened to have fallen upon a hot spell ; and 
although the fire was not disagreeable, the mosqui- 
toes, which are benumbed by cold, were lively and 
plentiful. Under these circumstances our mode of 
proceeding was to close the tent and then with a 



82 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

candle carefully burn them one after another. To 
do this successfully requires nerve and skill ; the light 
must be approached quickly enough to catch the 
nimble fellows, and just far enough not to scorch the 
tent; the operation gave Don decided pleasure, 
especially as they are consumed with a loud " pop." 
In course of the proceeding he incidentally re- 
marked : "Their galleys burn; why not their cities, 
too ?" 

Next day we ascended the river to the falls, which 
were about three miles from camp, and were found 
to be attractive neither to the fisherman nor the 
lover of nature. The water was warm and Ashless, 
the shute was small and unromantic. We dined at 
its foot, and descending, fished the pool that the 
day before had rewarded us so satisfactorily. Our 
prey was still there, eager as ever for hook and fea- 
thers, and soon covered the bottom of our boat 
with their glistening forms. My line after some 
time happening to become fouled in the bottom, and 
skilful fishing appearing to be out of place, I laid 
down the fly-rod, and taking the bass-rod, cast the 
troUing-spoon with some efibrt and a loud splash 
into the pool ; instead of alarming the fish, it was 
eagerly seized, and I kept on catching fish with it at 
every cast, till Don became disgusted with such 
unsportsmanlike procedure, and insisted upon re- 
turning to camp. 

That day was made remarkable by the advent of 
a thunder-storm, a rarity in the northern clime, 
and the only one that occurred during our entire 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 83 

trip. It was not violent, and had none of those 
terrible characteristics of similar phenomena in 
southern latitudes, and even in our regions would 
have been considered a tame affair. 

As, however, it drove us within the tent, and gave 
us a little unemployed leisure, my attention was 
attracted to Don's baggage, which consisted of an 
incongruous assortment that would hardly have been 
thought of by any other amateur backwoodsman, 
and would certainly have astounded a professional. 
Of course there were abundant clothes of various 
colors and kinds, of which a buckskin under-jacket 
suitable for severe winter weather, but hardly 
necessary in a summer-trip, and a handsome dressing- 
gown, were prominent articles; also his shaving 
materials, very neat and elegant, that were not used 
till he returned; a thermometer that kept ns in- 
formed as to the amount of suffering we were 
entitled to feel from the condition of the weather ; 
a picture of his two extremely pretty children, set in 
2. passe-partout frame, with a glass over it that was 
in daily danger of destruction, a bundle of tooth- 
picks that would have lasted us both a year, a new 
and effective patent portable boot-jack, a clothes- 
brush and whisp, a bottle of eau de cologne^ a pair 
of flesh-brushes, and many other things that might 
be classed as "odds and ends." 

Most of these articles were jumbled together in a 
large water-proof bag, from which he was never 
known to be able to obtain any specific article with- 
out emptying the whole on the floor ; but the pic- 



84 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

ture, his looking-glass, comb, hair-brush, and soap 
he kept among the eggs. The eggs suiFered con- 
siderably from the association, and their injury was 
felt by myself as head cook; but Don could never 
be persuaded to cliange his habits, producing abun- 
dant arguments to prove that that was their only 
appropriate place. 

At supper he announced his firm conviction that 
china cups and plates were a necessity to existence, 
that tin was an abomination, and that on all future 
tiips he should be properly supplied. He was in- 
dignant at a suggestion that they might be broken, 
and burst forth : 

" You are so set in your ways that you think no 
one can have any ideas but yourself, or make any 
improvement on your plans. Here you are, drinking 
high-priced tea, and even brandy-and-water, out of 
tin cups that hold a quart," — this was an exaggera- 
tion, as they were only pints — "have a disgust- 
ing taste that absolutely destroys the flavor, and are 
of such a shape that you have to dip your nose into 
the fluid before you can swallow any of it. With 
hot tea this is painful, and with brandy, or even 
water, far from pleasant." 

"Glass or china would be more agreeable on 
some accounts " was the mild reply. 

" I should think so," he interrupted. " Allow me 
to ask what you paid for this tea ?" 

" One dollar and fifteen cents a pound." 

" And what does it taste like ?" 

<' Tea." 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 85 

" Tea ! Well, there are some people that can 
hardly tell wash-basin slops from the best Bohea." 

"But, then," I hurriedly explained, to moderate 
his disgust, " china is so liable to be broken ; I had 
once an entire case of liquor smashed by my guides." 

" Yes, and that liquor-case is a case in point ; 
because that was lost you do not give up carrying 
liquor, do you ? Then why cease using china cups, 
not that they have been, but only from fear that 
they may be broken ?" 

" They are so much heavier than tin," I remon- 
strated. 

" As if the weight of two cups, one for you and 
one for me, and two plates, was so serious. Let's 
dispense with something else ; take less to eat, if 
you please, but have it decently served." 

Convinced by this eloquence, I meekly promised 
to comply on our next expedition, but Don was not 
altogether satisfied, and continued : 

"I do not wish you to consent to these views 
merely to suit my wishes. I want you to be con- 
vinced. I dare say there are advantages about tin ; 
it may be knocked about, is always ready at hand, 
is light, and stores in small compass ; for rough tra- 
vel, doubtless, it is admirable, and, were we to make 
long portages, would be better than china. After 
all, the taste of tin must be more apparent than real ; 
the metal cannot come off, or it would dissolve ; 
and how, then, can it give a taste ? The pots are 
large, but a man wants a good, long drink, whether 
of tea or brandy, when exhausted with hard work 



86 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

or exposure. After all, you will find many advan- 
tages in tin caps, and, really, the plates are scarcely 
objectionable ; before deciding, you must look at these 
matters from both points of view. However, as we 
cannot obtain china this trip, and as we are discuss- 
ing improvements, there is one thing I insist upon 
hereafter — we must have table-cloths and napkins." 

" What !" I exclaimed, absolutely overcome at 
this suggestion. 

"Table-cloths and napkins. You have probably 
heard of such things before ; they are customary at 
a gentleman's table, and if a person does sleep in a 
tent, he need not forget he is a gentleman. Look at 
this table, made out of two rough boards that were 
never even planed, transported in the bottom of our 
boat, and walked over daily with dirty shoes and 
occasionally with bare feet, sullied with the marks 
of promiscuous bundles, half covered with grease, 
and stained with tea, bilge-water, and fish-blood 
gracefully intermingled." 

" That is too bad ; they are two good, clean 
boards that Frank washes regularly, aud which are 
in themselves an unusual luxury ; for in wood's-lLfe 
we usually dine off a log or a flat rock." 

" They may be washed occasionally ; but as dead 
fish are first gutted on them, and as tea and grease 
are afterwards spilled on them till they are revolt- 
ing with filth, I do not see, for my part^ how you 
can eat your dinner off them." 

" I don't eat off them ; I eat off my plate." 

" That you may call a joke ; but hereafter I shall 



\ 

LAKE SUPERIOR. 87 

have table-cloths and napkins. You carry towels, 
why not napkins ?" 

" Because you cannot stow a large number, and 
if you have only a few, how are they to be kept 
clean? The guides have enough to do without 
trying to wash table-cloths with cold water and no 
starch." 

*' If that is so, I should take an extra man to wash 
them." 

The next day we met with a loss. We had no- 
ticed that the Indians, when they travelled, were 
invariably accompanied by their dogs ; these were 
rarely accommodated on board the canoes, and fol- 
lowed along the shore, swimming the inlets or cross- 
ing at the head, making often much longer journeys 
than their masters, who passed from headland to 
headland, but coming up with the camp at night to 
partake of the frugal meal. Sometimes, however, 
they strayed, and either lived on chance gleanings 
from travellers or perished in the woods. There 
were two ownerless dogs near our camp, and al- 
though precautions had been taken by our men, 
they succeeded in carrying off our only ham, leaving 
us nothing to show for it but the empty bag. 

Don's appetite had been sharpened by open air 
and exercise, and he expatiated at length upon dis- 
appointed hopes of fried ham, broiled ham, ham 
omelets, ham plain, and ham and eggs, and sug- 
gested many new and doubtless excellent dishes, of 
which ham was to be the principal part. His advice 
was valuable, but somewljat late. 



88 LAKE SUPEKIOR. 

Being already tired of the to me uninteresting 
Batchawaung and its one pool of numberless trout, 
and having a strong and favorable breeze, we broke 
up camp, descended the river, killing a duck on the 
way, and once out in the open water, headed for 
the Point of Mamainse, which is Chippewa for stur- 
geon. The wind, however, soon came out ahead, 
increased to a gale, and drove us into Uanse aux 
crepes^ or Pancake Bay, where we were detained 
that day and night. 

JOanse aux crepes is at the mouth of a little rivu- 
let that tumbles over scattered boulders, and occa- 
sionally contains some nice trout ; but the water 
was low, and although we caught enough small fish 
for supper, we did better with young ducks, hap- 
pening to get a shot into a brood, and killing with 
the two discharges seven plump, luscious, well- 
grown little fellows, which replenished the gridiron 
finely. 

The temperature fell to thirty-seven degrees, and 
with it the mosquitoes — a delightful change from 
the oppressive heat and hungry hordes that had tor- 
mented us. We camped for the night at the mouth 
of the rivulet, and continuing our voyage early next 
morning, soon reached the bold, imposing promon- 
tory called by the Indian name Mamainse. The 
shore is rocky and precipitous to such an extent, 
that the fisherman finds difficulty in casting the fly, 
or even pursuing his way along the steep cliffs. 

The water is filled with broken rocks, as at other 
parts of the coast, and wh^re these project above 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 89 

the surface a good stand is obtained. At one spot 
the waves had worn out a deep cavern, where a 
dozen men could sleep, protected from the air, and 
often under foot could be heard the smothered rum- 
bling of the water as it rushed into deep holes out 
of sight. Above the bare rocks, which are often 
fifty feet perpendicular, stretch the sparse under- 
brush, the stunted evergreens, and the moss-covered 
granite of the mountains, till they reach an elevation 
of a thousand feet. Frowning down upon the 
water stands the Point of Mamainse, a rallying-spot 
for the summer fogs and winter storms, a landmark 
to the voyageur, a barrier to the fiercest commotion 
of the lake, and the upper boundary of Tequamenon 
Bay, as the confined portion of Lake Superior near 
its outlet is called. 

It is an extensive promontory, and point after 
point presented itself to our wearied eyes ; we 
landed, rose, and lost some fine fish, and killed seve- 
ral of good size ; but as the wind was adverse, we 
could not afiTord to waste time, and pursued our 
journey till nightfall. 

'Next morning we tasted a Batch awaung trout 
that Frank had salted and smoked by hanging near 
the fire ; inasmuch as it was green and had not lost 
its original flavor altogether, it was quite appetiz- 
ing ; but a smoked trout that has been dried suffi- 
ciently to keep, is about as hard, unpalatable, and 
indigestible a morsel as man can put in his mouth. 
It has neither the flavor of the mackerel nor the 
richness of the cod, and not the slightest pretence 



90 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

to the delicacy of the salmon. Slightly salted and 
smoked, however, it will remain good for several 
weeks, and furnish a variety to the woodsman's 
Spartan fare. 

Unfortunately there is no way of preserving 
trout ; these fish, so delicate fresh, are almost worth- 
less pickled, soused, salted, or smoked ; while those 
of a size to be worth catching are too large to pre- 
serve by potting, in which way alone can their flavor 
be preserved. They are pickled by being immersed 
in water that has had sugar and salt boiled in it ; 
they are soused by being cooked and preserved in 
vinegar and allspice ; they are. smoked by being 
salted for a night and hung in a smoke-house or 
near the fire ; they are kippered by being rubbed 
with salt and a little pepper, and hung in the sun ; 
they are potted by being cooked and packed tightly 
in jars, and having hot lard or butter with spices 
run in and over them. Only when prepared in the 
latter way are they eatable, and then only when 
they are small. 

This day we had our first really favorable wind 
that bellied out our sail, and relieving the men from 
the labor at the oars, drove us along at a famous 
rate, enabling us to push boldly out into the lake 
that was alive with the dancing, foam-crested waves, 
and urging us onward famously in a direct course. 

When far from shore and miles from the habita- 
tions of a civilized being, we espied approaching 
another barge similar to our own, and which proved 
also to be carrying a party" of fishermen. 



LAKE SUPEKIOR. 91 

Our sail was hastily lowered, and the vessels being 
laid alongside of one another, we held an interest- 
ing conversation with our fellow-travellers. It ap- 
peared they had ascended the Neepigon, and gave 
glowing accounts of the number of fish, but not 
much of the character of the fishing ; saying that 
the trout, which were large on the average, were 
collected in pools as we had found them in the 
Batchawaung, and were so numerous as to ruin 
the sport. They had had a long journey, and were 
out of whiskey, a deprivation that we hastened to 
supply ; and were glad to see civilized beings, and to 
feel that they were once more on the confines of the 
land of the white man. 

With mutual good wishes we bid them farewell, 
and watched their barge after we separated growing 
smaller and smaller in the distance, till it was lost 
to view. How suggestive are such meetings of 
individuals who have never encountered one another 
before, who form an acquaintance as it were in the 
wilderness, shut out from the rest of mankind, and, 
separated, never to meet in the wide world again ; 
like a ray of sunshine through a storm-cloud, shining 
for an instant across the surrounding darkness, gone 
in a moment, and never to be re-illumined, leaving 
nothing behind but a pleasant memory ! Not one 
of the persons in either boat will ever forget that 
meeting, and nevertheless no conceivable circum- 
stances can bring them together again on the bound- 
less waters of Lake Superior. 

We reached the Agawa that night. The stream 



92 LAKE SUPERIOE. 

was sluggish at its outlet, near whicli a change in 
its course had left a small pond in the sandy shore, 
and was not altogether inviting, with its shallow, dis- 
colored, heated current. It has a high reputation 
among those who have explored it, but flows into 
the lake in a commonplace manner. A neighbor- 
ing swamp encouraged the growth of mosquitoes ; 
and the black flies, which seemed to be of an un- 
recognized and indescribably vicious species, were 
annoying in the extreme. There was a small settle- 
ment of Indians near by, and hardly had we com- 
menced pitching our camp, which had to be located 
some distance from shore on account of the pebbly 
beach, ere they appeared. 

There was an old man, the embodiment of harm- 
less idiotcy, who turned out to be a patriarch and 
not the fool he looked ; two fine-looking, straight- 
featured young men ; two boys, a little girl, and 
three dogs. The latter evidently belonged to the 
family, for they all, dogs included, stood in a row, 
the latter fully as intelligent as the former, and 
none of them ofiering the least assistance while our 
men and ourselves raised the tent. The old man 
wore a conciliatory expression of imbecility, the 
young men a confirmed air of vacuity, and the dogs 
and children seemed imbued with a few sparks of 
intellect. 

They made no motion and uttered no word till a 
fire was lighted, when they instantly crouched round 
it. As a race, living in the rudest manner, and de- 
based from their native simplicity by contact with 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 93 

the white man, they have small claims to intelli- 
gence ; but to their credit, be it said, they are ordi- 
narily honest, and unless grossly outraged, perfectly 
harmless. 

They are readily moved to laughter, greatly 
enjoyed the appearance of our hats, which were 
stuck round with flies, and shouted with delight 
atthe noise made by Don's chck reel, when he 
took a trout in the small pond previously men- 
tioned, and throughout our intercourse with them, 
proved themselves pleasant, trustworthy compa- 
nions. 

While our guides were preparing supper, Don 
proceeded to explore the neighborhood, and made 
his way to the wigwams, where he found more of 
the same family. Immediately on our appearance, 
the women, after peering furtively through the 
chinks, retired into obscurity, ignorant, probably, of 
our high delicacy towards the female sex ; and in 
fact throughout, betrayed a disgusting want of con- 
fidence ; the three favorite wives of the silly old 
patriarch, wives that we were told were both young 
and pretty, having fled into the bush before our 
canoe had touched land. During our entire stay 
we had nothing but dissolving views of female 
charms — ^loveliness that was not arrayed in crino- 
line—although Don devoted every spare moment to 
persistent visits. 

A young man appeared promptly from under the 
blanketed door of the first wigwam, and Don com- 
menced an instructive conversation on the subject 



94 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

of numerous dogs that were howling round in un- 
pleasant proximity to our calves. 

" You have a large number of dogs ?" 

"Ya." 

" I suppose you use them in the chase ?'' 

"Ya." 

"They accompany you in your journeys V* 

"Ya." 

" What do you chase with them ?" 

" Ya." 

" I asked what do you chase with them ?" 

"Ya." 

" Oh, I see you speak French." 

" Ya." 

" QWest ce que Von chasse aiiec Us chiens .^" 

"Ya." 

Don now began to doubt whether his new friend 
spoke either French or English, and had recourse to 
Chippewa, at least as near Chippewa as he could come. 

" Vat you chase, chassy, vis the doggees ?" 

"Ya." 

" You chase les cerfs the deer, the elks, the moose ?" 
gesticulating freely. 

"Ya." 

"The beaver, the— the— castor.?" 

"Ya." . 

" The rabbit, the— the— ze rabeet ?" 

"Ya." 

"Don," I burst forth at this stage, "he does 
not understand a word you are saying." 

" On the contrary, he evidently understands per- 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 95 

fectly, how else could he answer so intelligently ; of 
coarse he does not pronounce yes accurately, but is 
entirely comprehensible." 

" Well, then, ask him about the canoe he is build- 
ing ; how many it will hold, what those strings are 
for, and where he caught that large trout yonder ?" 

" You build ze canoe ?" 

" Ya." 

"Howmany it hold?'* 

"Ya." 

"It hold one?" 

"Ya." 

"It hold two?" 

"Ya." 

" You see he says it holds one or two." 

" Well, now about the strings." 

" Zese strings, what for ?" 

"Ya." 

" ]Si o no ; what for yese strings ?' 

"Ya." 

" What zay use for ?" raising his voice. 

"Ya." 

" You no understand ; what for, what for ?" 

" Ya." 

" Leave the strings and ti:y the fish ?" 

" You see ze trout, truite .^" 

" Ya." 

" Where you catch him ?" 

"Ya." 

" Up ze river ?" 

"Ya." 



96 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

"Or near by?" 

*'Ya." 

" No, no ; where catch him ?" 

"Ya." 

" Here or zere ; here or zere ?" very loud, as 
though the savage were deaf. 

" Ya." 

" That will do ; and after this instructive conversa- 
tion we had better seek our camp and supper." 

*'Just as you say; he evidently does not fully 
understand the last question, although I think we 
might obtain some valuable information from him. 
We certainly want to know where he took that fish, 
which must weigh four pounds." 

"We certainly shall not find out, as baby talk 
evidently is not Chippewa, although I wish it was, 
and will need Frank's aid in our communications." 

The other Indians were still seated near our fire, 
and received with apparent thankfulness the rem- 
nants of our supper, of which we took care that the 
little girl should have her share, after we had 
finished. As the river was low and could not be 
ascended with our barge, nor without much labor on 
foot, it was necessary to hire canoes; but unfortu- 
nately we had nothing but United States money, 
which was about as worthless as white paper. 
Frank took ground that we should pay them in 
stores of pork and biscuit ; but as he seemed utterly 
regardless of our anxiety to make a positive bargain, 
and but little mindful whether they were paid or 
not, Don felt it necessary to approach the subject 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 97 

cautiously, and having read of the pipe of peace, 
thought the opportunity a good one for its introduc- 
tion. Taking out his pouch, he gave them enough 
tobacco to fill their pipes all round, having learnt 
from Frank that it was not necessary to pass his 
own from mouth to mouth, which he had considered 
imperative, but which was not altogether plea- 
sant. He was solicitous about their having their 
pipes well lighted, and being pleased with the 
tobacco, and when reassured on that head, and 
satisfied that genial smoke was producing its natu- 
ral effect, he permitted Frank to give a few gentle 
hints suggestive of our desires to ascend the river, 
our possession of quantities of pork that we did not 
wish to take back with us, and our anxiety to be 
satisfied that canoes could be had. 

The subject being skilfully launched, Don ex- 
pressed great interest in the little girl, whose name 
he found was Wajack^ which being interpreted, 
means Little Rat, and finally made his great point 
by the production of his picture. This had hung 
in our tent night after night, had been carried in 
our basket day by day, and -had smashed its score 
of eggs ; but now it repaid us. The hearts of the 
savages were won, their delight was rapturous, 
expressions of admiration were universal, the highest 
encomiums were passed upon it, and the little chil- 
dren, whose likenesses were really extremely pretty, 
were as the perfection of loveliness as Frank 
interpreted it, pronounced to be " so nice and 
fat." 

5 



98 LAKE SUPERIOK. 

This we felt to be oiir moment of victory, and 
Frank was directed to improve it. Standing before 
the fire, with a gridiron in one hand and a dish-cloth 
in the other, he burst into a strain of unequalled 
eloquence. Without understanding a word, we 
could imagine him painting our desolate condition ; 
how we were strangers from a far-off land, had left 
the pale-faces, our wives, our little ones, bringing 
with ns only their faint delineation on paper, in 
order that we might see the beauties and grandeur 
of the Indian's home — to sleep in the woods, to 
float upon the lakes, to wander through the forests, 
to explore the rivers. How we felt the red men to 
be our brothers, and wished to know them better, 
wished to stay long with them, to voyage in their 
company and under their guidance ; that we were 
great men in our own land, but knew little of the 
wilderness or the manners of savage life ; that we 
were rich in corn, in pork, in flour and biscuit, but 
had not thought to bring our purses, which were 
filled to overflowing, with us ; but that we felt our 
brethren of the great Chippewa tribe would befriend 
us, would supply us with canoes and guides, and 
help us on our way. That the great universal 
brotherhood of man demanded it, and that the time 
might come when they would be in our land, penni- 
less and ignorant, and might have to look to us for 
canoes and guides ; and would be glad to remind 
us of the time they helped us uj) the Agawa. 

At the end of every sentence and at every pause, 
the Indians all, big and little, broke in with a simul- 



LAKE SUPERIOK. 99 

taneous m-m-m, a sort of grunt that became more 
vigorous as Frank became excited, and grew louder 
as his arguments grew stronger ; till before he was 
through, the listener would have supposed that the 
entire party was suffering in the agony of what 
children know as the stomach-ache. The grunt was 
not in the least like the conventional humph, was 
uttered without opening the mouth, which would 
have been an excessive and unnecessary labor, and 
ivas capable of great expression. . It began sympa- 
thetic, grew appreciative and confirmatory, and at 
last became wildly enthusiastic^ evidently taking its 
origin from the Greek chorus, which is of a similar 
appropriateness ; it was the strangest accompaniment 
to a public speech we ever heard. 

Feeling the importance of the case, we endea- 
vored to keep our countenances ; but what with 
Frank's bursts of eloquence, his graceful and im- 
pressive gestures with the gridiron, the vehement 
grunt in chorus at every pause, our strange 
position congregated in the wild woods round a fire 
with a parcel of unkempt savages, begging to swap 
off, as our Yankee brethren would say, a quantity of 
biscuit for a passage in a canoe, we could not con- 
tain ourselves, but rolled over in convulsions of 
laughter. 

At first the Indians did not know what was the 
matter, then they joined with us, and when we 
attempted to imitate their grunt they shouted louder 
than we had done. Frank felt that aspersions were 
cast upon his eloquence, and seemed to have his 



100 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

feelings hurt, but unable to resist the general hilarity, 
at last joined the 

"roar 
That echoed along the shore." 

What Frank had really said I never could find 
out, but believe that he mentioned the subject we 
had at heart no farther than merely to order the 
young men to bring their canoes. Although half- 
breed himself, he was influenced by the general 
contempt for the rights of a savage, and determined 
in his own mind to have the canoes and pay for 
them as he pleased. Doubtless also he was more or 
less controlled by a dread of self-depreciation in 
acknowledging that he served penniless employers. 
To our persistent questions he would respond laco- 
nically that it was arranged, but would say nothing 
as to particulars. As we were entirely in his hands, 
having discovered that not a word of our language 
did the Indians understand nor we a word of theirs ; 
and as, although our desire to do justice was great 
and might have been strong enough to induce us to 
give up the idea of obtaining the canoes, we were 
utterly unable to communicate it, we were com- 
pelled to submit to Frank's course. 

The Chippewa language is beautiful, easy, flowing, 
graceful, full of vowels, expressive, capable of 
vigorous impression, and, were it more generally un- 
derstood, pleasant to acquire ; but above all is it 
advantageous when an entire ignorance of its mean- 
ing enables you to take what you want and pay for 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 



101 



it as you please. And if the native is dissatisfied he 
cannot vituperate or abuse you, a^ the strongest word, 
leplus vilaiii mot^ as Frank expressed it, fortunately 
is ^^ chienP 




MOUNT KINEO. 



102 LAKE SUPEEIOR. 



CHAPTER Y. 

The canoes arrived on the following morning ere 
our breakfast was clispatclied, and having stowed 
into them our fishing-gear and the requisites for a 
simple meal, we were about embarking when Don, 
who was directed to sit on the bottom of one, be- 
tween the two Indian boys, entered a violent protest, 
and seating himself on a log instead, announced he 
should either not go at all, or should be allowed to 
pole and have sole charge of one end of the canoe. 
This proposition astounded all who could under- 
stand, and would have astounded the others still 
more if they had understood it ; but ere we had 
recovered our breath Don commenced exj^laming 
his views : 

" For many years I have heard of voyaging in a 
canoe ; have thought it the chief pleasure of the 
wilderness, and have been anxious not only to learn 
hoAV, but to do it. Of course, you will hardly ex- 
pect me to know how to manage so frail a boat 
without practice, and yet if I never practise, how 
am I to learn ? It is self-evident I must commence 
some time. If you admit that, and you can scarcely 
dispute it, what better time could I have than the 
present ? You propose to take the bow of the other 
canoe, and although you are probably not as expert 
as the savages, you did not acquire such skill as you 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 103 

possess intuitively, but by experience. You will 
probably suggest that I may upset ; if so, the con- 
sequences fall only on myself. You have put no 
stores in this canoe, and the ducking will be mine. 
Let one of the Indians stay behind, for I have counted 
upon this as my greatest pleasure." 

" But, Don," I reasoned mildly, somewhat appalled 
at the prospective consequences, "you will smash 
the canoe." 

" Oh, no ; you did not do so when you commenced ; 
and if I do, it is not woi*th over fifteen dollars, and 
I can pay for it. We have stores enough, and I can 
make up the difference to you." 

" But you will never succeed " 

" Pooh, pooh ! You succeeded, why not I ? I do 
not ask you to give up the pleasure which I see 
plainly you are bent upon, but we can leave one of 
the Indians here ; I wiU go with the other, and you 
with Frank. That will make the load lighter, be- 
sides." 

" Has ononsieur ever poled a canoe ?" asked Frank, 
wondermgly. 

" ]N"o ; but I must commence. Of course, I will 
have difficulty at first, but it will come ; do not 
trouble yourself about me." 

" The work of poling against a strong current is 
tremendous, and the river being low, the rapids are 
unusually heavy. You will be entirely exhausted 
ere you have gone half-way." 

" Do not worry yourself about my sufferings ; 
although your argument is evidently defective, as 



104: LAKE SUPERIOR. 

low water cannot be" stronger than high, if I fail to 
keep up with you I can lag behind or come home." 

" Really, you do not know what you are under- 
taking ; but I will tell you what you can do. Go 
with the two Indians, see how they manage in the 
first rapid, and then take the place of one and 
try it." 

To this, after much protest and complaint, Frank 
and I persuaded him to agree ; more, however, as a 
personal favor to ourselves than on any other ground, 
and his grumblings of dissatisfaction were loudly 
audible till we had passed the first rapid ; Don nei- 
ther offered to pole nor grumble afterwards. 

The water was very strong, collected in large 
pools, and then rushing with tremendous force down 
a confined channel, or else pouring in long exhaust- 
ing stretches of foaming current over pebbly shal- 
lows and amid i^rotruding boulders. At one S2:)ot 
Frank and myself were fifteen minutes, just able to 
hold our own and not advancing a foot, with the 
imminent risk of upsetting at any instant ; and Avhen 
I was out of the canoe fishing, he was utterly una- 
ble, to the intense delight of tlYe Indians, to stem 
the rapids at all. 

The canoes were small, and the canoe-men had to 
occupy a most uncomfortable position : kneeling and 
sitting on their heels, not being able to stand erect 
as I had often done in larger boats, so that Frank 
complained of cramp in his legs for days afterwards. 
Short setting poles were used, and our utmost 
strenscth had to be exerted w^here the current was 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 105 

strong. Of course, the Indians were entirely at 
home at the work, and although straining their best, 
enjoyed our deficiencies and shouted over our mis- 
haps ; whenever we either caught a trout or came 
near upsetting our canoe, whenever we had any 
good luck or any bad luck, and often when we had 
neither, they roared with laughter. Not appearing 
to give the fate of their canoe, which was in our 
hands, a thought, they were intensely amused when^ 
ever we brushed against a rock or careened her till 
the water flowed in. Instead of the proverbial taci- 
turn grinmess of the conventional Indian, they were 
hilarious and loquacious, although their language 
was a sealed book to us. They were on the best; 
footing, and held animated conversations with our 
guides, were continually amused at their own witti- 
cisms, and when on our return, while descending an 
unusually dangerous rapid, Frank, distrustful of my 
judgment, insisted upon taking entire charge of the 
canoe, and as a natural consequence came very near 
upsetting and throwing us into the boiling waters, 
to the peril of our lives and destruction of the boat, 
they could hardly contain themselves, but made 
merry over it the entire way home. 

The Agawa winds among high, bleak, and sterile 
hills, is rapid and filled with pools, but has none of 
those tumbling cascades which give life to the water 
and wear out deep, dark holes where trout love to 
congregate in warm weather. The current, stained 
with the dead leaves and decaying vegetation of 
the ponds and marshes, where it has its source, is 
5* 



106 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

amber-colored, and lends its hue to the pebbly bot- 
tom over which it flows. It evidently, thi-oughout 
its great extent, furnishes admirable spawning- 
grounds for the fastidious trout, and in cool weather 
is filled with them in vast numbers. But when a 
warm season has heated the water, and a drouth 
has diminished the current, the fish, finding the ele- 
ment unsuited-to their comfort or even existence, 
are compelled to seek the cool, shady cav^erns of the 
lake shore. 

The river, when we visited it, was in this condi- 
tion, and there were none but small, dark-colored 
fish, which, although excellent in the frying-j^an, after 
the excessive exertion of surmounting the rapids 
had given us an appetite, furnished but tame sport 
on the line. 

Our dinner was pleasant, our trip ex<3iting, the 
scenery wild, the river interesting, the savages 
amusing, and ourselves agreeably entertained ; but 
we returned early, possessed of a wretched show of 
game. We had taken two dozen fish, but none of 
them were large. 

On issuing from the secluded channel of the river, 
we realized, to our surprise, that a heavy gale was 
blowing from the south-east. We had not felt the 
wind till we approached the open water, and emerged 
from among the hills and trees, but soon found the 
waves rolling in upon the sand-beach in a way to 
remind one of the surf on " Old Long Island's sea- 
girt shore." 

The waves appeared to drive the trout in from 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 107 

the lake, and towards evening tlie river near its 
mouth was alive with them, breaking in every di- 
rection ; yet, strange to say, although we cast our 
flies frequently directly over them, and kept on fish- 
ing till it was night, not a trout did we take. In 
all our experience such a thing had never happened, 
and where they were so numerous, a dozen often 
being visible at the same instant, so voracious and 
unaccustomed to the presence of man, it was extra- 
ordinary. Fish will frequently, although breaking 
freely, refuse the fly, but generally a few will be 
misled, and occasionally one will be caught ; but 
here in the Agavva, a hundred miles from civilizar 
tion, we saw ten thousand trout in the space of five 
hundred yards, and after expending skill and pa- 
tience, failed to take a single one. 

No explanartion of this phenomenon presented 
itself; there was nothing in the air, water, or time 
of day to explain it, and although it was followed 
during the night by a great change of temperature, 
there would appear to be no connection between 
the two events. The fish seemed to be playing 
rather than feeding like salmon running in from 
the S<?a ; and, anticipating cooler weather, may have 
been preparing to ascend the river. And it is 
proper to mention here that two gentlemen, who 
fished tiiti river a few weeks^afterwards, had remark- 
ably fine sport. 

Fishing having proved itself vanity and flies a mis- 
conception, we returned to the tent and superin- 
tended the payment of the guides, by impressing 



108 LAKE SUPERIOK. 

upon Frank the necessity of giving them sufficient. 
One received his in a greasy, dirty hat that he had 
worn for several seasons, and which could hardly 
have improved the flavor ; and the other, not having 
so expensive a luxury as a hat, wrapped his in a 
neck-cloth that had been in use day and night for 
years, and had never been washed. Frank gave 
them each, in addition, a little butter on a biscuit, 
and they hurried away, delighted with their trea- 
sures. 

The Indian children had brought a number of 
agates that they had collected from time to time, 
and Don selected the best, which were, however, 
inferior specimens, and paid for thorn also by barter. 
Of course, our little friend Wajack had her store to 
exhibit, and received a favorable consideration from 
Don, who endeavored to make her understand a few 
English words, which were such exquisite baby-talk 
as to be nearly incomprehensible to the rest of us. 
He foimd in the long run that he succeeded better 
by holding up the proposed payment and pointing 
to the agate, as none of the savages presumed to 
ask for more than we oifered. 

The following morning the trout again declined 
positively to recognize our allurements, and the 
wind being fair, we concluded to commence our 
homeward voyage. We were sorry to j^art with 
our amusing Indian friends, notwithstanding an 
occasional pang of fear for our numerous articles 
that lay scattered about, and which it is only justice 
to say were entirely untouched • but as we could 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 109 

make nothing of the fishing, had become possessed 
of the best agates, and had explored the river tho- 
roughly, we proceeded to reembark. 

The wind was, for the first time, in every way 
favorable ; but ere we had reached Point aux Mines 
it had become so violent that Frank, alarmed at the 
increasing roulan^ began to talk of his wife and 
eight children, and how sorry they would be if he 
were drowned ; and when the wind further in- 
creased, and Frank began to talk of his nine chil- 
dren, we concluded it was time to stop and put 
into a port of distress. In truth, those open, heavily 
laden boats are not the safest of vessels in a sea- 
way, and yawing about as they do before every 
wave, have to be watched carefully lest they broach 
to and fill. 

Charley enjoyed Frank's terror, and would have 
kept on as a matter of pride till his employers were 
satisfied; but Frank, with streaming hair, staring 
eyes, and blanched countenance, was a picture of 
distress, and if we had not given permission, would 
have taken it to run behind the first friendly point. 

This proved to be Point aux Mines, where in 
former days a copper mine had been located, and 
the shafts and buildings, dilapidated it is true, and 
fast crumblmg to pieces, remained to mark the 
traces of man's enterprise. The point had been 
purchased by a company from the Crown ; but as 
the latter failed to pay the Indians, who were the 
rightful owners, they, with the assistance of many 
of the Canadians, among whom was our friend 



110 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

Charley, made a night-attack upon the post, and, 
by a complete surprise, captured it without loss or 
bloodshed. The speculation never having been pro- 
fitable, the company was only too glad to be cap- 
tured ; and having obtained an extravagant indem- 
nity from the home government, never resumed 
possession of the works. 

The buildings were windowless and tenantless, 
and served as shelter for voyaging parties of In- 
dians ; the underground passages were falling in, 
the machinery was going to ruin, the ]3latforms 
were rotting, and the gardens had grown up with 
long, rank grass. 

We explored the shafts, collected some specimens 
of the ore, and returned to the boat in time to find 
the wind greatly abated, and embarking, soon ar- 
rived at the Point of Mamainse. Having fished for 
a short time from a rock named after one of our 
best 'New York fishermen, Stevens's Rock, we con- 
tinued our voyage, and reached the former camp- 
ing-ground on the Batchawaung before dark. 

The weather had changed. The rain was falling 
in that dull, penetrating drizzle that is so depressing 
to one's spirits, and the cold air made our wet 
clothes and damp bed far from comfortable. Camp- 
ing in a rain, building a smoky fire from damp logs, 
and making a bed of wet boughs, in spite of the 
protection of water-proof blankets, is impleasant, 
although it rarely produces sickness. Don bore the 
discomfort with a patient composure that was an 
eminent example to our city exquisites, and never 



LAKE SUPERIOR. HI 

uttered a complaint ; on the slightest provocation 
he would j)robably have proved, conclusively, that 
moisture was man's natural condition, and infinitely 
preferable to sunshine and dry clothes. 

On ascending the river next day, as Don and 
myself were walking along the bank we observed 
a rustling in the grass, and pausing, roused a flock 
of partridges. I shot one as they rose, and behold- 
ing them, to my great satisfaction, alight on the 
neighboring trees, proceeded to poach, thinking 
only of the pot, and shot from the trees and on the 
ground, in utter disregard of all sportsmanlike rules, 
the entire covey. They consisted of but a single 
brood, and the young were not more than three- 
quarters grown ; but the anticipation of their juicy 
tenderness on the gridiron overpowered any qualm- 
ish sentimentality, and right glad were we to collect 
the ten plump, tender little fellows into a bloody 
pile. 

The trout had moved from their, former locality, 
but were plentiful as ever, enabling us to satisfy our 
desires and return early to camp, with one fish of 
four pounds and several of three. During the day 
there was a sudden change of temperature, preceded 
by a furious attack from the brulots upon our un- 
happy persons. Apparently anticipating the advent 
of cold weather and partial lethargy, they satiated 
their appetites with our blood, in spite of ointments 
and veils. 

During our absence a party of fishermen had 
arrived from the Sault, and finding our camp, 



112 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

located themselves a few hundred yards below us. 
As we desccHded the river next morning, we stopped 
to exchange salutations and inform them of the con- 
dition of the fishing. Being ourselves abundantly 
satisfied with killing trout, we proposed making a 
short visit to the romantic Harmony before return- 
ing to the Sault, and left the strangers in the sole 
possession of the Batchawaung. 

We found the Harmony lower and warmer than 
we had left it, ahnost deserted by trout, but other- 
wise as beautiful and picturesque as ever. We lin- 
gered round the falls, and listened to the noisy cas- 
cade, drank from the ice-cold spring, shot a few 
ducks on the lower stretch of water, killed a dozen 
fine trout at the upper shute^ and indulged in the 
luxury of laziness. 

Don had been heretofore as active as any member 
of the party, often up the first and to bed the last ; 
frequently rousing the guides from their slumbers by 
a loon-like call, repeated until they appeared ; but 
on our first morning at the Harmony he positively 
refused to get up, and to my persistent entreaties, 
replied in a despondent voice : 

"It is no use ; you give me no rest, keep me up 
every night till eleven, work me to death all day, 
and let the flies and mosquitoes annoy me without 
cessation. I will stand it no longer, and intend to 
sleep as late as I please." 

"But, Don, breakfast is ready, and you will 
lose it." 

" Then I shall have a second breakfast. You feed 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 113 

me on pork, and trout, and ducks, till I am tired of 
them, and get no nourishment from the endless repe- 
tition." 

"I have made a beautiful omelet this mornino-, 
and it will be ruined." 

"Then make me another — we have plenty of 
eggs — or I will make it for myself" 

" But you will miss the morning's fishing." 

" I do not care. I have caught trout enough to 
last my lifetime, and I will have a little rest." 

With that he turned over, incontinently went to 
sleep, and no efforts on our parts, nor shouts from 
the guides, w^ho with delight imitated the cry with 
which he had been accustomed to wake them, 
could rouse him till eleven o'clock. Apparently 
much refreshed, he eat a light lunch preparatory to 
a more substantial dinner, the hour for which had 
almost arrived. Getting up at eleven o'clock in the 
woods is equivalent to sleeping till four in the after- 
noon in the city. 

Somewhat moved by his complaints, and having 
plenty of leisure-time, I devoted myself to providing 
for dinner the best our larder afforded : soup made 
from preserved vegetables furnishing the first 
course ; trout, larded and fried, the second ; broiled 
duck, garnished with thin pieces of pork, the third ; 
and such entremets as boiled rice, chow-chow, and 
the like, closing with a dessert of that remarkable 
and ill-named preparation called corn-starch, one of 
the most valuable discoveries for the city-bred ex- 
plorer of the woods. 



114 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

Corn-starch is a remarkable edible, supplying tlie 
greatest variety possible, never seeming to result in 
the same production, and furnishing a subject of un- 
tiring wonder as to what form it will take next. 
On some days it would be beautiful, transparent, 
bluish jelly, then it would be a solid, opaque white, 
and again a dusky brown semi-liquid substance ; 
fi-equently it resembled, pap, and. now and. then 
would be full of doughy lumps, as though endeavor- 
ing to effect an exiDerimental pot-pie ; sometimes it 
tasted of liquorice, at others it seemed, flavored with 
molasses; but generally it had not the slightest 
particle of taste. I never could calculate on a result ; 
if I tried to obtain jelly, I made pap ; if pap was my 
purpose, pot-pie would be the product. 

Don eat it daily in a state of be\yilderment bor- 
dering on idiocy, inquiring regularly after the first 
taste : " What have we here, now ?" But once, 
when brown instead of white sugar was used, and 
effectually obliterated all other flavor, he made what 
young ladies call a face. The inventor of corn- 
starch must be a wonderful man, but it is to be 
desired that he would reduce his bantling to a little 
better state of subjection, and put on his labels 
directions more applicable to the woods, where 
milk and moulds and flavoring extriacts are not to 
be had, and ice-creams are a reminiscence of the 
past. 

Monotony is the drawback to life in the woods, 
and corn-starch is doubly welcome on that account. 
It is nutritious, being composed of the essential 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 115 

portions of the grain, is compact, and easily pro- 
tected from wet ; it furnishes an astonishing variety 
of desserts where any dessert is a luxury, and it is 
an admirable addition to one's stores, though I wish 
it had a little more taste. 

The dinner, including the corn-starch dessert, was 
a success, and revived Don's spirits, so that he w^as 
up betimes thereafter during our stay at the Har- 
mony. 

With reluctance we bade farewell to the pretty 
stream, whose soothing murmurs, grateful shade, 
and wild scenery invited us to remain ; and our 
eyes lingered on the hills from which it springs, as 
we slowly passed out of Batchawaung Bay on the 
route to Gros Cap and the Sault. But, aware that 
our limited time was almost expired, we pushed on 
our homeward way, stopping to dine at the camp- 
ground near its mouth. Here we found, amid the 
debris of ancient wigwams, the bleached skulls of 
numerous beavers, and were surprised at the pecu- 
liar formation of their long, mordant teeth. We 
had frequently noticed logs of considerable diameter 
that had been cut through by these powerful natu- 
ral saws, and that bore the long furrows that they 
made; but were astonished to find, in extracting 
these teeth from the skull, that they constituted 
nearly a semicircle. Worn as they would be by 
severe and continued use, nature had made this 
provision to sujDply the rapid waste, and the portion 
of the ivory concealed in the skull was fully two 
inches long. Don collected several, and finding a 



116 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

l^eculiarly large specimen, muttered, on withdraw- 
ing the teeth, that it must be the remnants of 

"Ahmeek, the king of beavers." 

Before reaching Gros Cap we struck and lost, by 
the fo-uling of our trolling lines, which were both 
out together, a very large lake trout. This fish, in 
spite of his size, gave so little play that we were 
scarcely aware that we had hooked him, and were 
astonished when we saw his immense proportions 
as he came near the boat. We scarcely considered 
his loss a disappointment. 

We spent two days at Gros Cap, having fine 
sport and killing some large fish. Don broke his 
tackle several times, and the lively, bright-colored, 
vigorous trout, luxuriating in their appropriate ele- 
ment, the cold spring water of the lake, gave us 
excellent play. Wandering from rock to rock, and 
casting out into the limitless lake, every rise was 
sudden and unexpected, every step changed the 
distance of our cast and the character of the fishing- 
ground. 

The submerged rocks were visible through the 
limpid water, and from beside them or from their 
deep, dark fissures a trout might rise with a, furious, 
impetuous plunge at any moment. The fish were 
numerous, breaking in the placid evenings in my- 
riads, and the sport was entrancing. During the 
warm mid-days, when the sun was too brilliant or 
the lake too calm for fishing, we would wander 
about the island, hunting specimens, inspecting na- 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 117 

tiiral peculiarities, and chasing the ephemercB that 
had supplied the place of the brown pJiryganidcB. 

There was a surprising similarity of color in all 
the natural flies of that region ; they were mostly 
of modified shades of brownish yellow or gray. 
The yellowish variety had two long whisks, one 
inch and three-quarters long, banded with gray, 
eyes round, white, and protuberant, with a black 
speck, and eight sections to the body. They were 
quite active and numerous, while other varieties 
resembled them in general appearance and charac- 
teristics. 

Tiie rocks were seamed with veins of copper, the 
oxide of which had discolored the adjoining stone, 
and occasionally we could obtain pretty and appa- 
rently rich specimens. Unfortunately, neither Don 
nor myself, though well enough read in the classics 
and other equally useful sciences, had ever studied 
mineralogy, and were as good judges of minerals as 
a savage would be of a watch. Our ignorant con- 
clusions, however, were that if the north shore of 
Lake Superior were properly explored, under Yan- 
kee supervision, mines might be discovered equal- 
ling those of the south coast. "With this sage con- 
clusion we were forced to be satisfied. 

Charley had a passion for prospecting ; w^as ready 
at a moment's notice to dig out with the axe any 
strange-looking deposit, fully convinced that some 
day he should make his fortune, if he only could 
learn to distinguish the valuable from the worthless. 

At last a strong westerly wind came out, and a 



118 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

heavy fog settled down upon us, wrapping the hills 
in its graceful shroud, hanging pendant from the 
distant rocks and trees, shutting out the lake from 
view, covering the bushes with glittering gems, and 
wetting our thin clothes uncomfortably. As there 
was too much sea running to fish, we wrapped our- 
selves up in the water-proofs, and embarking the 
remnants of our property, set sail for the Sault. 

This was to be our last day on the lake, our last 
day in the open woods, the last time we were to 
stand face to face with nature's solitude — and our 
spirits felt depressed at the prospect. No more 
sleeping beneath the cool canvas, no more looking 
out upon the limitless Big-Sea-Water, no more peer- 
ing up into the silent night, and no more of those 
thronging thoughts and grateful inspirations that 
feed the soul in the wilderness. The freedom from 
rules and restraint was to be laid aside, the easy 
dress must be replaced by the methodical cut, the 
manners and acts must be shaped to those of others, 
and we were to conduct ourselves henceforward 
according to the received and established pattern. 
We were approaching civilization, where stiff and 
stately houses were to limit our views, and man's 
works shut out those of God. 

The wind soon hauled ahead, and driving back 
the fog, let down a flood of sunlight on the spark- 
ling water ; but the current being quite strong in 
our favor as we approached the outlet, we made 
good headway, passing in our course a yacht crowd- 
ed with sportsmen, and under full sail going wing 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 119 

and wing for the N^eepigon, encountering other sail- 
ing vessels, and meeting with occasional evidences 
of man's presence. 

At six o'clock that evening we shot the rapids, 
and discharging our load at the wharf, ensconced 
ourselves once more beneath the hospitable roof of 
the Chippewa House. Three glorious weeks had 
come and gone since we were last there — three weeks 
of unalloyed happiness, three weeks of invigorating 
life and exercise, worth all the medicines in the 
world — three weeks of intelligent and sensible enjoy- 
ment. In that time impressions had been made and 
lessons had been learned never to be forgotten ; 
health had been acquired that would last for years, 
joy tasted that would leave its flavor during life. 
And now farewell to the staunch old barge ; farewell 
to our canvas home, to the merry camp-fire, to the 
woodsman's life ; farewell to the deep forests, the 
sombre pines, the waving elms, to the dancing 
streams, and the open water ; farewell to our faith- 
ful guides ; farewell to the graceful trout, the elegant 
namsegoose, the fierce black bass ; a long farewell 
to Gitche-Gume, Big-Sea- Water, the greatest of the 
great lakes of our great country ! 



120 LAKE SUPEEIOR. 



CHAPTER VI. 

The finest trout-fishing in the world is to be ob 
tained at Lake Superior ; although larger fish may 
be killed in the lakes and streams of Maine, and 
greater numbers in the brooks of New Hampshire, 
Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania, nowhere is 
to be found the same abundance of trout, averaging 
above two pounds, and wonderfully game and vigor- 
ous, and nowhere a more beautiful region to explore 
or pleasanter waters to fish over. The entire rocky 
shore of the lake, along both coasts, is one extensive 
fishing-ground, where the skilful angler can at any 
point find delightful sport; the innumerable tribu- 
taries, large and small, of the British or American 
territory, unless shut out by precipitous falls, are 
crowded with myriads of the speckled beauties ; 
and the rapids at the outlet furnish trout of the 
largest size. 

The true mode of enjoying the sport is by camp- 
ing out, when the adventurous sportsman roams 
from point to point and river to river, from camp- 
ing-ground to camping-ground, at his own unre- 
strained will, varying the sights and sounds of 
beauty that are ever present in the wilderness ; but 
excellent fishing can be had at numerous places, 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 121 

united with comfortable accommodation. At the 
Sault St. Marie, at Marquette, at Grand Island, and 
at Bayfield public-houses are to be found, and so 
plentiful a supply of fine fish that the heart of man 
cannot fail to be satisfied ; but the finest sport is to 
be realized along the Canadian shore, where camp- 
ing-out is a necessity ; for while on the southern 
coast the trout average a pound, on the northern 
they will run fully two pounds in weight. 

To reach Lake Superior from the Eastern States 
the angler must either take the steamers at Cleve- 
land upon days advertised in the local papers, or 
join them the next evening at Sarnia^ by the Grand 
Trunk or Great Western railroads of Canada. He 
will reach the Sault in three days from Cleveland, 
and can save twenty-four hours in going by the way 
of Sarnia. At the Sault he will find unequalled bait- 
fishing, and occasionally excellent fly-fishing ; but 
here, on account of the depth and strength of the 
water, the bait will kill the largest trout. At this 
thoroughly American village there is a well-kept 
hotel, the Chippewa House, and nearly all the re- 
quisites for camp-life, except the tent. 

A few miles below the Sault the Garden River 
affords good sport and fair-sized trout, but is a diffi- 
cult stream to ascend, while the first promontory 
on the southern shore of the lake, called White Fish 
Point, has long been famous as a fishing-station. 
At Marquette, which is a regular stopping-place for 
the steamers that traverse the lake, the waters are 
somewhat fished out ; but about thirty miles to the 
6 



122 LAKE SUPERIOE. 

eastward, within an easy clay's sail, at Grand Island' 
there is splendid fishing, magnificent scenery, and a 
passable boarding-house. Here are the famous Pic- 
tured Rocks, ornamented with the fantastic hues of 
many-colored sandstone, and worn by waves and 
storms into a thousand odd shapes and strange re- 
semblances, hollowed out into caverns, washed away 
into pinnacles and spires, at one place representing 
a yacht under full sail, at another a turreted castle 
of the olden time. 

About sixty miles beyond Marquette are the 
Dead, the Yellow Dog, and Salmon Trout rivers, 
which are apt to be encumbered with drift-wood 
and underbrush, but which are filled with fish, and 
from one of which a brook-trout of six and a half 
pounds was taken. The photograph of this fish, or 
another of about the same size, is preserved at the 
Sault. 

At Bayfield, the further terminus of the steam- 
boat route, named after the first American explorer 
and surveyor of this region, is the best of fishing, 
united with good hotel life. In the neighborhood 
of this village two hundred and fifty pounds weight 
of speckled trout have been killed in one day by 
one good fisherman and one poor one ; fish of two 
and three pounds are common, and in the sheltered 
channels, between the Apostle Islands, the namsG- 
goose are taken in unlimited quantities. The Brule 
River, and the many streams that empty into the 
lake in the neighborhood, although often choked 
with drift, are filled with fine trout. 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 123 

On the north shore, amid the interminable forests 
that stretch in primeval solitude to the northern 
sea, enlivened only with the voice of the Peebiddy 
bird and one other melancholy warbler, beautified 
by a rare sprinkling of native wild-flowers, 

" In the kingdom of Wabasso, 
In the land of the white rabbit," 

and along the Canadian shore of the lake, is the para- 
dise of the fly-fisher. Every river swarms, every bay 
is a reservoir of magnificent fish that find their 
equals in size, courage, vigor, and beauty only in 
the salt waters of New Brunswick and Lower 
Canada. The entire coast is one long fishing-sta- 
tion, the rivers are stew-ponds, and the lake one 
vast preserve ; at every step the angler may cast 
his fly into some eddy of the discolored stream or 
over some rocky shoal of the limpid lake with a fair 
prospect of alluring from the depths a glorious em- 
bodiment of piscatory power that shall struggle and 
fight, leaping from the water, and making many 
fierce ruslies for a good twenty minutes, till he 
yields himself to the embrace of the net, exhibiting 
amid its brown folds the glorious silver brilliancy of 
the loveliest inhabitant of the liquid element. As 
he advances along the shore, an endless variety of 
water and land, continuous changes of rock and 
tree, and dark, bottomless depths or light gray 
shallows, present themselves to his eye ; at one mo- 
ment he is clambering along the steep, rough side 
of a precipice, whence he can scarcely toss his line 



124 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

a dozen paces, at the next he is walking securely 
upon some flat rock whence the receding hills per- 
mit him to cast to the utmost limit of his ability, or 
he may ascend the nearest stream by the aid of his 
strong barge, or in the light canoe, or else wading 
waist deep against the rushing current, and there, 
overshadowed by the hills and shrouded amid the 
waving trees, he can visit pool after pool, try eddy 
after eddy, till he and his men and the boat are 
loaded, and satiety bids him rest. 

Along the lake there is scarcely a choice of local- 
ity ; from the sandy beach at Point aux Pins to the 
outlet of the Pigeon River — the boundary of two 
nationalities — at every point, in every cove, trout are 
to be taken, and often in abundance ; but probably 
the best as well as the most accessible spots are 
Gros Cap and Mamainse. Of the rivers the most 
famous is the Neepigon, where barrels of trout, 
avei-aging four pounds, have been taken in one day ; 
but the Biitchavvaung and the Agawa are nearly as 
good, and within a more convenient distance, while 
tlie Hnrmony is unequalled for wild and romantic 
scenery. 

The fish of Lake Superior excel those of the other 
inland waters, either in flavor or game qualities, and 
sometimes, as with trout, in both. The lake-trout 
and whitL'-fish bring a higher price in the Detroit 
markets than those of Erie and Ontario, have a more 
brilliant color and firmer flesh, and the trout in- 
finitely surpass in appearance, strength, and endur- 
ance the dull, logy productions of the Umbagog or 



LAKE SUPERIOR. 125 

Mooseliead Lake. On taking the fly and experienc- 
ing the astonishing disappointment, they make one 
rush like their fellow-sufferers the salmon, and find- 
ing the pain clings to them, they leap with the 
energy of grilse with wild repetition, in the vain 
hope of shaking the tormenting barb from their lips. 
"Kov do they resign themselves after a feeble strug- 
gle, but retain strength for many a rush when the 
ugly net is exhibited, often smashing tackle, carry- 
ing off leaders, and breaking tips in the course of 
the contest. Their colors are exquisitely delicate, 
their backs transparent mottled green, their sides 
of pearly whiteness, marked with brilliant carmine 
sjDecks and faint blue spots, and their fins of the hue 
of clouded cream. Their flesh is flaky and rich, 
seamed with curd, and delicious to the hungry 
sportsman. 

After having fished from Labrador to the Missis- 
sippi, and killed trout in every State where trout 
are to be killed, I am satisfied that the fishing of 
Lake Superior surpasses that of any other region on 
our continent, and is, as a natural consequence, the 
best in the world. 

There are several remarkable peculiarities of scen- 
ery, among which are the pictured rocks and the 
sand dunes ; and the sparkling lake, when stirred by 
a gentle breeze, is beautiful in the effulgence of the 
vertical summer sun ; but the forests are gloomy 
and sombre, nearly impenetrable on account of fixllen 
trees, and in the lower lands grown up with vast 
ferns, those evidences of the antiquity of our conti- 



126 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

nent ; so that the sportsman is mainly confined to 
his canoe and the narrow strip of lake shore between 
the beating waves and the impending hills. Beneath 
his feet are the hard rocks, seamed with yellow veins 
of copper, or wave-worn pebbles sparkling with a 
hundred varying colors, only less beautiful than the 
glistening fish that the skilful angler entices from 
the lake and lands among them. From this narrow 
strip he surveys the broad expanse of the Big-Sea- 
Water, and dreams of the countless myriads that 
rest in its liquid depths. 

He travels with ease and comparative comfort ; 
in the commodious barge he stows the innumerable 
articles that fill the measure of a sportsman's luxu- 
ries, including among them a roomy tent, appetizing 
delicacies, abundant clothes, and whatever else foncy 
dictates. With the barge, which, although twenty- 
two feet long, is light and draws little water, he 
ascends the larger streams ; or he hires some pass- 
ing Indian and his birch canoe, that wonderful 
structure so beautifully and accurately described by 
Hiawatha : 

" Lay aside your cloak, Birch-Tree, 
Lay aside your white-skin wrapper, 
For the summer-time is coming, 
And the sun is warm in heaven, 
And you need no white-skin wrapper. 

Give me of your boughs, Cedar, 
Of your strong and pliant branches 
My canoe to make more steady, 
Make more strong and firm beneath me. 



LAKE SUPERIOE. 127 

Give me of your roots, Tamarack, 
Of your fibrous roots, Larch-Tree, 
My canoe to bind together. 
So to bind the ends together 
That the water may not enter, 
That the river may not wet me. 

G-ive me of your balm, Fir-Tree, 
Of your balsam and your resin. 
So to close the seams together 
That the water may not enter. 
That the river may not wet me. 

Give me of your quills, Hedgehog, 
AU your quills, Kagh the hedgehog, 
I will make a necklace of them. 
Make a girdle for my beauty 
And two stars to deck her bosom. 

Thus the Birch Canoe was builded 
In the valley by the river. 
In the bosom of the forest. 
And the forest's life was in it, 
All its mystery and its magic, 
AU the Kghtness of the birch-tree. 
All the toughness of the cedar. 
All the larch's supple sinews ; 
And it floated on the river 
Like a yellow leaf in Autumn, 
Like a yellow water-lily." 

And in this thing of life and beauty the fisherman 
finds his way to the head waters of the smallest 
brooks or crosses portages from one river to ano- 
ther, feeling for the time the joys of independence 
and savaoje life. 



128 LAKE SUPERIOR. 

The gaudy flies known as the Irish lake-flies, 
dressed on a small salmon-hook of about ISTo. 1^, are 
successful throughout the entire length of the lake ; 
but in the rivers a common brown or red hackle on 
the same sized hook, dressed with silver tinsel, scar- 
let body, and very full, long hackle, is decidedly the 
most killing, and in the lake answers full as well as 
the more expensive articles. Yery small flies are 
not desirable, owing probably to the depth and 
occasional turbulence of the water in the lake and 
its discoloration in the rivers, which prevent their 
being perceived by the fish. Stout tackle and a 
heavy rod are better than lighter gear, as no one 
wishes to waste time on small fish, and the rises are 
so frequent that the angler will not become weaiy 
by continued casting. A gaff is necessary for the 
Mackinaw salmon, and a large landing-net for trout, 
but otherwise nothing is required different from 
that which the sportsman would take in a day's trip 
to the classic haunts of Long Island. 

As the region around Lake Superior is well to- 
w^ards the Arctic zone, the weather is cool, and 
blankets, overcoats, and warm clothes are necessary ; 
but there will be frequently several successive days 
of extreme heat, when the thermometer will rise to 
ninety in the shade. The great drawback to this 
section of country, in fact to all our unopened lands, 
is the immense number of mosquitoes, bhick-flies, 
and sand-flies. These pests are found numerously 
everywhere in our woods, but nowhere are they so 
plenty or combined so equally as along the shores 



LAKE SUPERIOK. 129 

of Lake Superior. All day long the black-flies watch 
their chance to find a bare spot of human flesh to 
sting and tear ; immediately on the falling of the 
shades of evening the almost invisible sand-flies, the 
"no see 'ems" of the half-educated Indian, make 
their appearance in countless millions of infinitesimal 
torture, and all night long the ceaseless hum of the 
hungry mosquito drives sleep from the wearied 
sportsma!i's eyelids. Veils and ointments are, there- 
fore, a prime necessity, without which a visit to this 
section is an impossibility ; and even with the best 
protections, the warm days that give these insects 
unaccustomed activity are scarcely tolerable. But 
in spite of these petty discomforts it is a noble lake, 
beautiful in all its moods, silent and waveless in the 
warm sunshine, rippled and sparkling in the gentle 
breeze, or lashed to anger by the storm, when it 
rages along the shore and bursts in furious sui-f 
upon the rocks. Ko where else can trout-fishing be 
had in greater perfection and more endless variety, 
nowhere else can the fisherman find purer sources 
of enjoyment or finer opportunities to exercise his 
art, and nowhere else can the lover of nature dis- 
cover more to amuse or instruct him. It lies in the 
heart of an almost unbroken wilderness, the largest 
lake in the world, one huge spring of the coldest 
ice-water, and filled with trout that the painter can 
scarce find colors to imitate, and that will dwell in 
the angler's memory for ever. 
6* 



130 



LAKE SUPEKIOE. 




MACKINAW SALMON. 131 



MACKINAW SALMOiN", 

Namaycush — Salmo Ametliystus, 

Of all the varieties of Salmonidce that perma- 
nently inhabit the fresh water, this fish, although 
atterly destitute of game qualities, is alone entitled, 
on account of his great size and excellence upon the 
table, to the honored name of Salmon, is found 
throughout the northern lakes, being prevented by 
the impassable barrier of Magara Falls from descend- 
ing to the sea, occasionally visits Lake Erie, but 
attains his finest condition around the cold, clear 
depths of Lakes Huron and Superior. He is named 
after one of his favorite localities, and reaches the 
immense weight of nearly or quite one hundred 
pounds, and is the grandest prize of the inland 
waters of our northern continent. 

In color, the Mackinaw Salmon differs, as does the 
brook trout, according to the peculiarities of his 
habitat, whether rocky or muddy shoals, or deep 
open water ; and to such a degree that, according to 
Professor Agassiz, he is known to the Canadian 
Voyageurs under different names, and individual 
specimens are frequently considered half-breeds or 
a cross between this species and the Siskawitz. 
Among the aborigines he is distinguished by the ap- 



132 MACKINAW SALMON". 

pellation which is usually spelled namaycush, although 
it is pronounced namaegoose, and has the accent 
strongly on the second syllable, and is r.ever by them 
confounded with any other variety of lake trout. 
The fish of Lake Superior are of stronger colors ; are 
darker on the back ; have redler flesh, and are uni- 
versally preferred gastronomically to those of other 
localities. 

In Spring and eaidy Summer, they appear to leave 
the deep water, and seeking tlie rocky shallows, feed 
voraciously upon the numerous small fry furnished 
in abundance by our western lakes. Throughout 
May, June, July, and August, they can be captured 
in abundance with the trolling spoon, trailed after 
a boat propelled by oars or a gentle breeze, but are 
rarely taken of over twelve pounds weight. At such 
times they are excellent eating; their flesh being 
rich, firm, and closely approaching in color that of 
their congener, the taraous Salmo Scdar, and they 
are delicious simply boiled or made into the basis 
of a chowder. 

Unfortunately, although they bite voraciously, 
they give no play whatever, allowing themselves to 
be drawn in without resistance, and there is no fish 
approaching them in size which is so utterly devoid 
of game qualities. At times they seem even to swim 
gently forward as though they preferred coming 
towards the boat, till the fisherman is uncertain 
whether they are still on ; and although at the last 
moment they make a few flounces, their apparent 
weakness for a fish so powerfully formed, is astonish- 



MACKINAW SALMON. 183 

ing. To be sure if a man had a hook in his mouth 
he would follow the sliglitest pull ; but we do not 
expect such conduct from a fish, especially from one 
endowed with the graceful and vigorous shape of 
the Mackinaw Salmon. 

They take any of the trolling spoons, appearing, 
however, to prefer the old style, copied from the 
bowl of a spoon, but rather elongated, to the expen- 
sive and fanciful modern improvements. Those sold 
at the Sault St. Marie are from five to six inchi's 
long and made of tin ; but a better bait will be found 
in the mother of pearl imitation fish. To insure suc- 
cess, the weather should be moderate, either cahn or 
with a gentle breeze rippling the surface of the water, 
for the reason that in the open lake a strong wind 
will cause so heavy a swell that the fish cannot see 
tlie bait, and the oarsmen cannot control the boat. 
They are not shy; but as the water is frequently 
deep, although wonderfully clear, the difiiculty is to 
attract their attention. For this purpose sufiicient 
line must be used to sink the bait slightly beneath 
the surface, and the boat must not move too rapidly. 

They are captured in all the bays and indenta- 
tions of Lakes Huron and Superior, where the bot- 
tom is rocky and the water not over one hundred 
feet deep. In Lake Superior th.ey are abundant ; in 
Goulais' Bay, at Michipicotten Island, in the vicinity 
of Bayfield, and almost everywhere else. 

Late in the fall they retire to the sombre depths, 
and are only taken by still fishing with a long line 
and live bait, and at such times the deep water 



134 MACKINAW SALMON. 

abreast of Gros Cap is one of their favoiite locali- 
ties, and they are there frequently caught by the 
Indians of from fifty to seventy-five pounds. They 
are salted and smoked by the inhabitants for winter 
use, but like the speckled trout are too dry for that 
purpose, and should never be killed by the sports- 
man except as an article of immediate consumption. 
They are usually distinguished among Americans 
as the Mackinaw Salmon, although that universal and 
totally undescriptive name Lake trout is occasion- 
ally applied to them, and are called by the Canadian 
voyagers truites du lac. 

The gums of this fish are of a purple tinge, and 
from this peculiarity, w^hich is by no means invaria- 
ble, is derived their scientific name. The scales are 
small and the lateral line is nearly straight. The 
under gill cover is large and grooved ; while there 
are many teeth, the prominent ones being very sharp 
and much curved, and the tongue has a row on each 
side. 

Thefinraysare:— D. 14,P. 15, V. 9, A. 12, C.19|. 

The tail is narrow at the root, and spreads broad 
toward the extremity. The color on the back is 
deep sea green, spotted with green and yellow spots ; 
on the sides it is purple, with lilac spots, and on the 
belly pure white. The tail is dark and beauti- 
fully spotted the whole length. It is, altogether, a 
remarkably handsome and graceful fish. 

The spawning season is October, and the opera- 
tion is performed in the shallows near shore, at which 
time the fish are mercilessly speared by the natives. 



LAKE TROUT. 135 



LAKE TROUT. 

Salmon Trout — Salmo Confinis. 

This variety of the non-migratory Salmonidm^ 
although somewhat similar in general appearance to 
the foregoing species, does not attain the same 
gigantic size. It is found numerously throughout 
the middle and Eastern States, as well as in the 
great Northern lakes, but bears a vastly inferior 
rank in the estimation both of the epicurean and the 
sportsman. 

Its gastronomic appreciation, I believe, however, 
is much influenced by the period of the year in 
which it is taken. Early in the season it is rich, firm, 
and of fine flavor, the flesh being of a light orange, 
and breaking into beautiful flakes. At such times 
it is unquestionably excellent. In Summer it is 
admirable as the foundation for a chowder, having 
some of the peculiarities in a higher development 
of the cod ; and serving as a pleasant change from 
the ordinary boil or fry of the common trout. It 
is also quite eatable if cut into steaks and 
broiled. 

Its scientific description is as follows : — The scales 
are minutely striate; the lateral line is slightly 
curved near the head ; the tongue has large teeth 



136 



LAKE TROUT. 



along the central furrow ; there are many acute teeth 
on the palatines and vomer ; the tail has a sinuous 
margin ; the bases of the vertical fins are spotted, 
and the flesh is coarse. 

The fin rays are :— D. 14, P. 14, V. 9, A. 12, C. 21 f. 

In color it is blackish or bluish-black, with nume- 
rous pale spots. It is taken with trolling tackle, but 
rarely or never with the fly. The spawning season 
is October, when it seeks the shallow water for that 
purpose. 




THE SISKAWITZ. 137 



THE SISKAWITZ. 

Salmo Siscowet. 

This species has a dentition very similar to the 
Salmo Amethystus^ but not quite so robust. The 
upper and lower niaxillaries and intermaxillaries, 
and each of the palatines, have a row of teeth. The 
vomer one and the tongue two rows, beside the 
acute teeth. The tail is less furcate, and the dorsal 
fin is larger than in the Mackinaw Salmon. The 
flesh is rich and of fine flavor, but almost too fat. 

The fin rays are:— D. 12, P. 14, A. 12, 14, V. 9, 
C. 30. 

This 'fish is shorter and stouter, and not so dis- 
tinctly spotted as the Mackinaw Salmon ; it is alto- 
gether less handsome, but has similar habits, and 
bites readily at the trolling spoon. It was first de- 
scribed by Professor Agassiz, not many years ago, 
during his tour of Lake Superior, but has always 
been distinguished by the Indians and Voyageurs, and 
known among them under its distinctive appellation. 

The Siskawitz inhabits the upper portion of Lake 
Superior, and never descends towards the outlet, and 
is taken in the neighborhood of Isle Royale in abun- 
dance. It is said also to be found in some of our 
other lakes, but is very rare. 



138 STKIPED BASS. 



STEIPED BASS. 

Rock-fish — Xiibrax Lineatus. 

These glorious fish, the delight of the angler's 
heart, the bravest and strongest except the salmon, 
the largest without exception of the finny tribe that 
the sportsman pursues, frequent every cove and bay 
of our northern Atlantic coast, and furnish the main 
attraction of salt-water fishing. 

Their mode of capture differs according to the 
locality ; from the rock-bound coast of the Eastern 
States the adventurous angler, perched upon some 
projecting rock, casts the simple bait into the crested 
wave, amid the thundering surf of the stormy sea ; 
along the sandy shores and in the tranquil inlets of 
the Middle States, gut snells, sinker and float come 
into play in the rapid tide ways ; and among the 
numerous lagoons and bays of the Southern States 
the clumsy but effective hand-line is employed. 

To the eastward, menhaden and lobster are the 
favorite baits; in Pennsylvania and New York 
shrimp, crab, and squid ; and in the Southern States 
killeys, herrings, and other small fish. The artificial 
baits are the eel-skin, imitation squid, and gaudy 
bass-fly. The eel-skin used mainly along New 
England shores is attached to a hand-line, and cast 
into and drawn rapidly through the boiling surf of 



STRIPED BASS. 189 

the ocean ; the squid is towed with trolling tackle 
behind the sail or row boat, in the quiet waters of 
the Middle States ; while the fly is used with stout 
rod and long line wherever the fresh current of 
some river haunted by fish falls directly into the salt 
water of the sea. 

For casting with the menhaden from the rocks, 
New London harbor, Point Judith, West Island 
near Newport, Montauk Point, and Newport Island 
itself, are favorite localities ; while the Little Falls of 
the Potomac at the Chain Bridge, near Washington, 
where the greeu waters dash over the sunken rocks 
and eddy round the cliffs that rise perpendicular 
from the river's brink, furnish the finest fly fishing 
for bass in the world. 

For bait-casting the necessary implements are a 
large reel, running on steel pivots, two hundred 
yards of flax line attached to a 7 '^ hook with a 
round head, and a rod of not over nine feet in 
length, with a large agate funnel top. With such 
tools experienced fishermen can cast a slice cut 
from the side of a menhaden, and weighing about 
three ounces, two hundred, aye, nearly three hun- 
dred feet into the curling breakers of the Atlantic 
ocean, and kill bass that will pull down the scales at 
fifty, sixty, and seventy pounds. 

A mode of preparing a bass line to render it 
light and water-proof, without weakening it, is 
recommended by excellent authority, and is simply 
to soak it for one night in fish oil which does not 
rot linen, to hang it up to drain the following day. 



140 STRIPED BASS, 

and to place it in mahogany sawdust to dry. When 
thus prepared it does not soak water, nor even sink. 

Fly-fishing for bass, however, is the perfection of 
the sport, and infinitely surpasses in excitement all 
other modes of killing these noble fish. The best 
season on the Potomac is in July or August, and 
the favorite hours the early morning or the twilight 
of the evening. The ignorant and debased natives 
who inhabit the romantic region of hill and valley 
in the neighborhood of Tenally Town, about five 
miles northwest of Washington, and who, dead to 
the beauties that nature has lavished around them, 
and utterly unacquainted with scientific angling, 
look merely to their two cents per pound for striped 
bass, manufixcture a fly by winding red or yellow 
flannel round the shank of a large hook, adding 
sometimes a few white feathers. They substitute 
for rod a young cedar sapling, denuded of bark and 
seasoned by age, and attaching to the upper end a 
stout cord, fish with the large flannel swathed hook in 
the rapids and below the falls of the Potomac, at 
the old chain bridge, and without a reel, kill bass of 
twenty or thirty pounds. 

No spot can be imagined more wild and roman- 
tic, and with proper tackle, the reel, the lithe salmon 
rod, and the artistic fly — no sport can be more excit- 
ing. The roar of the angry flood, the bare precipices 
topped with foliage on the opposite bank, the flat 
dry bed of the stream where it flows during the 
heavy freshets, but at other seasons a mass of bare 
jagged rocks, and the dashing spray of the broken 



STRIPED BASS. 141 

current lend a charm to the scene. While the fish, 
rendered doubly powerful by the force of the stream, 
and aided by the numerous rocks and falls, have 
every chance to escape. 

The bass pursue the silvery herring, which is the 
principal natural bait, and ascend the Little Falls of 
the Potomac during the summer months in vast 
numbers. They are captured in such quantities 
with the net in the salt water and with hook and 
line in the rapids, as to be almost a drug in the 
market. 

As the season advances, the native crawls upon 
some rock that reaches out into the stream, and with 
his coarse but elastic cedar pole, casts the roll of 
flannel, wrapped round a hook and misnamed a fly, 
into the seething current ; and when the brave fish 
seizes the clumsy allurement the fisherman contends 
for the mastery as best he may, occasionally at the 
risk of a ducking in the stream consequent upon the 
sudden breaking of his tackle, and accompanied 
with considerable risk. When a man has but a 
slight foothold upon the slippery surface of a shelv- 
ing ledge, and has attached to the end of his rod a 
vigorous fish of twenty pounds, he is apt to fall if 
the line parts unexpectedly. Many are the tales of 
such accidents, and now and then of fatal results. 
But with proper tackle, the scientific angler is mas- 
ter of the situation ; he can reach any part of the 
current, casting into the eddies at the base of the 
precipitous cliffs opposite ; he can yield to the rush 
of the prey ; can retire, paying out line, to surer 



142 STRIPED BASS. 

footing, and can follow the fish along the shore ; and 
finally, having subdued his spirit and broken his 
strength, can lead the prize, gleaming through the 
transparent water with the sun's rays reflected in 
rainbow colors from his scales, into some quiet nook 
where he can gaff him with safety. Such is fly-fish- 
ing for striped bass amid the most lovely scenery, 
gorgeous in its summer dress of green and alternat- 
ing hill and valley, dotted with pretty farms and 
smiling grain-fields ; and there is but little sport 
that can surpass it. 

Bass are also taken at the Grand Falls, ten miles 
further up the river ; but the Little Falls are their 
favorite locality, as they are here just passing from 
the salt tide into the pure, sparkling, broken fresh- 
water. They frequently weigh twenty pounds, and 
occasionally much more ; but, of course, the main 
run is smaller, and the number killed in lucky days 
is prodigious, being counted by hundreds. 

Bass are said to be taken with the fly in other 
rivers of the Southern States, and also to a certain 
degree in those of the north. At the mouths of ^ 
narrow inlets, where the tide is rapid and diluted 
with fresh-water, a gaudy red and white fly with a 
full body, kept on the surfiice by the force of the cur- 
rent and not cast as in fly-fishing, will occasionally 
beguile them ; but generally speaking, bass are not 
fished for with the 'fly north of the Potomac. 

Although the artistic angler naturally despises the 
miserable flannel abortion manufactured by the stu- 
pid boors of Tenally Town, it will often be found as 



STEIPED BASS. 143 

good a lure as though composed of the rarest mate- 
rials; in fact the bass exhibit none of that daintiness 
of choice that is universal with salmon. So long as 
the fly is large and showy they seem to be satisfied, 
and their immense mouths can readily grasp a No. 
7 hook, such as the natives occasionally use. One 
of half that size is abundantly large, however, and 
the clearer the water the finer should be the tackle. 
The rod, reel, and line are those appropriate to sal- 
mon fishing, although the line, if it is wet by salt- 
water, should be afterwards rinsed in fresh to pre- 
vent rotting. Some fishermen fasten a float above 
the fly, and paying out line let it run down stream 
into distant eddies ; but this is not so orthodox a 
mode of proceeding, and does not require equal skill 
nor as delicate tackle. 

After a fish is struck, the same care has to be ex- 
ercised if he is heavy that is necessary with the sal- 
mon, and he will often compel the angler to follow 
him a long distance ere the gaff terminates the strug- 
gle. Bass make very determined but not such rapid 
runs as their fellow-denizen of the flood, the salmo 
salar^ but rarely retain that reserved force which 
makes his last dash so often fatal ; nevertheless they 
are resolute and powerful, and have to be handled 
with care. 

Another mode of taking bass, wliich is strongly 
recommended, even for the open bays of the north, 
by one of our best fishermen, but which I have only 
tried in the narrow coves, inlets, and streams, where 
the tide-way can be covered by a good cast, is to 



144 STRIPED BASS. 

use the salmon rod, line, and reel, but to substitute 
a shrimp for the fly. The casting is then done in 
the ordinary manner, and the gentleman referred to 
claims, that it is by far the most killing mode. If 
even equally successful, it is certainly far preferable 
to the use of the float and sinker, or to the dull 
monotony of bottom fishing. Any sport that brings 
into active play the faculties of body or mind, and 
which demands practice and experience, surpasses 
the one that requires the merely passive quality of 
patience. 

The most successful, and excepting perhaps fly- 
fishing, the most skilful method of taking the 
striped beauties of the northern coasts, is with the 
menhaden bait, cast into the boiling surf of the 
ocean, or the larger bays ; and this sport is univer- 
sally enjoyed along the iron-bound shore of New 
England, from New London to Eastport. This en- 
tire reach, is one mass of rockj indented by innu- 
merable bays, or severed by inlets into barren islands, 
where the tide rushes, and the surf beats ; and in 
every favorable locality are the bass taken with a 
stout rod, a long line, and menhaden bait. From 
almost every bold rock, or prominent island, can the 
angler cast into the vexed water of some current, 
made by the huge waves rushing over the uneven 
bottom, and allure thence the fiei'ce bass, who has 
been attracted from the ocean depths, to feed on 
the small fry that hide in the clefts and crevices; 
and waiting with fins often visible above the tide, 
to pounce upon his prey, mistakes for it the angler's 



STEIPED BASS. 145 

bait, and after a brave struggle surrenders to human 
ingenuity. 

Although the true fisherm-an may pursue the small 
fish of the Delaware or Hudson, of IS'ew York Bay 
or the Sound, may patiently bide their time at Hack- 
ensac or Pelham bridges, McComb's dam or the 
hedges; and may have true pleasure in capturing 
them with dancing float and shrimp, or running 
sinker, and shedder crab ; if he can spare a week 
or two, he should cut adrift from the noise and tur- 
moil, foul stenches, and fouler deeds of the city ; 
and hastening to Newport or Point Judith, enjoy 
the noblest sport of the salt water — ^bass-fishing 
with menhaden bait. He will need stout nerves, 
strong muscles, good tackle, and abundant skill ; for 
he will be called upon to cast with the utmost of 
his power, perhaps a hundred yards, and to strike 
and land fish that may weigh half a hundred pounds. 
He will be exposed to the sea-breeze, or it may be 
the storm wind at early day-light, and the spray 
from the salt waves, and wet and cold will be his 
portion ; but he will forget these trivial evils, when 
he stakes the bass of forty, fifty, or sixty pounds, the 
fish that he has been living for, and when he lands 
him safely on the slippery rocks. 

Fishermen of character have been known to as- 
sert, that they could cast with the rod, the ordinary 
menhaden bait, one hundred and twenty yards ; and 
although from a high stand, w^ith the aid of a strong 
wind, this is possible, the ordinary cast is not over 
half that distance, and to exceed one hundred when 
V 



146 STRIPED BASS. 

standing on a level with the water ds rare indeed. 
In fact, seventy-live yards is a good cast, and no 
man need be ashamed who can put out his line fair 
and true that distance. Rather better can be done 
with the hand-line than with the rod, but with far 
greater fatigue, and a painful over-exertion of the 
muscles of the arm that is almost unendurable to one 
who has not steady practice. The length of cast is 
in a measure controlled by the direction and vio- 
lence of the wind and the elevation of the stand 
above the water ; in a contrary wind the best angler 
will find it difficult to reach seventy-five yards, while 
from a high rock, with a favorable wind, he will 
cover that distance with ease. 

The use of the hand line is neither artistic nor 
adapted to gentlemen who fish for pleasure, although 
more killing probably than the rival method. For 
rod fishing, the best tackle and implements are ne- 
cessary ; the rod must be short and stout, the finest 
being made of cane at a fabulous expense ; the reel 
should have steel pins or run on agate, be made 
large and perfectly true, and the line must be from 
tvvo hundred to three hundred yards long. Cane 
rods are preferred on account of their lightness and 
elasticity, but they are at present almost unattaina- 
ble at any price, and the ordinary ones will answer 
well, altho-ugh after several hundred casts weight 
will be found to tell on unaccustomed muscles. The 
objection ta jewelled reels is, that a fall or blow may 
render them u&eless, while they run but little 
smoother than those with steel pins. The reel and 



STRIPED BASS. 147 

guides must be large to deliver the line freely, and 
if the line is seen to bag during the cast between 
the guides, it is a sure sign that they are too small. 
The line is of twisted grass or raw silk, which is the 
best but most expensive and delicate ; of plaited 
silk, which is the strongest; or of linen, which is 
cheap and common, but as they are all easily rotted, 
is the one in general use. The grass line, if it over- 
runs and whips against the bars of the reel, is sure 
to cut, but it delivers beautifully ; the silk line soon 
becomes water-logged and sticky ; and the linen one 
combines these defects with' a faculty of swelling 
when wet peculiarly its own. A perfect bass-line is 
a desideratum not yet supplied. The American reels 
and cane rods are perfection, but the lines are a 
cause of reproach and vexation of spirit. 

Casting the menhaden bait is similar to casting 
the float and sinker, only the power is enormously 
increased and deficiencies proportionally magnified. 
The line is wound up till the bait, if a single one, is 
almost two feet from the tip, the rod is extended 
behind the fisherman, who turns his body for the 
purpose, and then brought forward with a steady 
but vigorous swing that discharges it without a 
jerk, like an apple thrown from a stick by rustic 
youths. The reel is so far restrained by pressure of 
the thumb that it revolves no faster than the bait 
travels, but does not in the least detain it, and upon 
the accuracy of this manipulation mainly depends 
the result. If too niuch pressure is used, the line 
cannot escape rapidly enough and falls short ; if too 



148 STRIPED BASS. 

little, the reel overruns and entangles the line, stop- 
ping the cast ere half delivered with a jerk that 
threatens its destruction. The fisherman must be 
able to use either hand on the reel to rest his arms 
and to take advantage of the wind. 

If he is an adept he will drive the greasy bait 
straight and true directly to the desired spot, and if 
the weather is favorable and the fates propitious, he 
will bring up some scaly monster of twenty-five or 
mayhap thirty pounds, who will start seaward with 
bait, and hook, and line, and only be persuaded, 
after many eiForts and determined rushes, that it is 
in vain. The strong ocean breeze will play with his 
hair and the salt spume wet his cheek ; the vessels, 
like floating marine monsters, will drift across the 
waste of waters before him, the seagulls will hover 
round uttering their harsh cry, and he will cast and 
cast till arms and legs are weary, and he may kill 
in a single day a thousand weight of fish. The 
fresh air will give such a tone to his system, and the 
exercise such strength to his muscles, and the ex- 
citement such vigor to his nerves, that he will hardly 
believe himself the same relaxed, despondent, list- 
less individual that left the city a week previous. 

The most famous localities for the sport are West 
Island and Point Judith ; the former is reached by 
the way of New London, and the latter by the Con- 
necticut shore line of railway to Kingston. West 
Island has lately been purchased by a club of gen- 
tlemen, but will not probably be reserved exclusively 
for their use, as the neighboring islands being free 



STRIPED BASS. 



149 



to all no special privileges could be secured. There 
is often great difficulty in obtaining bait, particu- 
larly during a storm, which is the time that it is 
most needed, as~the fish bite best in rough weather, 
and on going from the cities it is well to pack a few 
hundred menhaden in a box with ice and sawdust, 
and thus insure a supply for some days ahead. 




150 POINT JUDITH. 



POINT JUDITH. 

It is a long, weary, and dusty ride by the way of 
the New Haven and Shore Line Railroads to Kings- 
ton ; but if, at the end of the journey, a pretty little 
widow, with hazel eyes, is found waiting to drive 
over to the South Pier in the stage, and you are the 
only other passenger, you will probably consider 
yourself repaid for all annoyances. 

It is seven miles from Kingston to the South 
Pier, the driver may happen to be a little tight, 
very sleepy, and wholly unobservant of what is 
passing in the back of his vehicle. Moonlight is 
either reflected with great brilliancy from hazel 
eyes, or else hazel eyes originate a brilliancy akin 
to moonlight, and certainly moonlight, hazel eyes, 
white teeth, rosy lips, soft hands, and a slender 
waist, are very bewitching in a close carriage of a 
moonlight night, with a preoccupied driver. Some 
women have a smile like sunshine, and their laugh 
rings like a chime of bells ; and if you happen to be 
riding alone with a pretty widow, and something 
suggests love-making, and her merry laughter slowly 
dies away into a gentle smile, and the smile fades 
into a look of sympathetic feeling, that you have to 
draw very near to see, till you feel her palpitating 
breath upon your cheek, and her hand trembles 



POINT JUDITH. 151 

when by the merest accident you touch it, and the 
ride occupies an hour or more, you may, before the 
South Pier is reached, almost forget that you are 
married. 

If this fortune befalls you at the station, you will 
probably fail to notice the beauty of Kingston vil- 
lage and Peace Dale as you pass through them, and 
will find the subsequent lonely ride from South Pier 
to Point Judith dull and dreary. Some two miles 
from the Pier is a house kept by John Anthony, the 
son of Peleg, where sportsmen most do congregate, 
and where all their reasonable wants, except the 
wherewithal to quench their thirst, can be supplied, 
and which is situated within a few steps of the best 
fishing stations. John Anthony is a Yankee born 
and bred, honest, faithful, willing, and acquainted 
with all the habits, devices, and iniquities of bass 
and blue fish. He will tell you that in May, when 
the grass plover have their long note, and are heard 
far up in the air travelling northward, bass are to be 
caught with the eel-skin ; that in June, when high 
blackberries are in bloom, they begin to take lobster 
bait ; but from July 1st, and all through the fall, they 
take menhaden, otherwise called bony fish or moss- 
bunker, the bait that the true and skilful sportsman 
loves to cast. 

In July and August, the largest fish, occasionally 
bass of fifty and even sixty pounds, rejoice the heart 
of the angler by surrendering to his skill, while in 
the Fall, although more numerous, they are smaller. 
In both these particulars, the fishing at Point Judith 



152 POINT JUDITH. 

and "West Island, and furtlier northward, differs 
from that in the vicinity of New York. Great suc- 
cess, however, depends upon several contingencies. 
It is supposed that the Gulf Stream, that prolonged 
current of the Mississippi River, which sweeps with 
its warmer temperature through mid ocean carrying 
a genial atmosphere and fertilizing showers to the 
otherwise arid shores of France and England, 
changes its course yearly, approaching our coast and 
sending its swarms of living creatures among the 
rocks of Narragansett Bay, or withdrawing so as to 
leave ns desolate and to increase the severity of our 
winters. We all know that our cold seasons differ 
greatly in intensity, and bass fishermen know that 
success in fishing varies equally; but from what 
cause these results flow, no one can positively say. 

After a heavy storm has darkened the water by 
w^ashing impurities from the shore, and at spots 
where the dashing breakers fill the sea with foam, 
the bass bite most fearlessly. Every crested wave 
rising against the horizon ere it breaks, flashes with 
their sparkling scales, and so sure as the bait cast 
from the powerful two-handed rod reaches that 
wave, so sure is it to be grasped by the nearest bass. 
The breakers drive the spearing and other small fry 
from their hiding-places among the rocks ; the dis- 
colored water blinds them to their danger, and bass 
trusting themselves in the very curl of the heaving 
swell collect in myriads to the welcome banquet. 
But as the discoloration misleads the spearing so it 
also conceals from the bass the line attached to 



POINT JUDITH. 153 

the treacherous bait, and the latter, while pursuing 
remorselessly his prey, becomes himself a victim. 

Neither shrimp nor soft crabs are used in this style 
of fishing, and the earliest bait, the eel skin, is pre- 
pared by stripping the skin off the tail of an eel 
from the vent aft to the length of about a foot, leaving 
it inside out, and drawing it over a couple of hooks 
so placed on the line that one shall project near the 
upper and the other near the tail end. A sinker of 
the size of one's little finger is inserted at the head, 
and the bait is cast by hand and drawn rapidly. The 
rod is not often used in this style of fishing, as the 
heavy bait is apt to sink ere it can be reeled in. 
The skin is frequently salted to increase its firmness, 
and when used must be kept in continual motion, to 
the great fatigue of the enthusiastic angler. 

The menhaden bait is prepared by scaling it and 
then cutting a slice on one side from near the head 
to the base of the tail, passing the hook through 
from the scaly side, and back through both edges, so 
that the shank is enveloped and the flesh is outwards, 
and then tying the bait firmly with a small piece of 
twine that is attached to the hook for that purpose. 
A menhaden or bony fish furnishes two baits, and 
the residue, except the back bone, tail, and head, is 
cut up fine, called chum, and thrown into the water 
to make a slick. A slick is the oil of the menhaden 
floating over the waves, and extended frequently by 
tide or current a long distance, attracts the bass, 
by suggesting to them that their prey is near at. 
hand. 



154 POINT JUDITH. 

Where the water is clear it is customary m rod- 
fishing, which is the only scientific mode, to use two 
hooks ; the smaller, some two feet below the other 
is attached to a fine line or gut leader, and denomi- 
nated without any apparent reason the fly-hook. 
Many of the best fishermen never use more than 
one bait, and where the fish are large and plenty, 
one is sufiScient. The fly bait is not generally tied 
on, but twisted round the hook in a manner difiicult 
to describe. 

Lobster bait is deficient in tenacity, and has to be 
tied on like menhaden, and probably the natural 
squid would be an effective and manageable bait, 
could it be provided in sufficient quantities. Limerick 
hooks, except those manufactured expressly for the 
purpose with a round head, are in great disfixvor, 
having a bad reputation for strength, and a stout 
but small cod hook is usually preferred. With skill, 
how^ever, and plenty of line, the fisherman is more 
to blame than the steel, for the breaking of the latter. 
The best hook is now manufactured with a round 
head and is fastened to the line with two half 
hitches, the end again hitched above theiyi so as to 
take the friction ; and as it is carried oflT by the first 
blue-fish, or in the Yankee vernacular horse mack- 
erel, that takes a fancy to it, the angler must be 
well supplied. 

The Bait, especially a single one, is light, but ex- 
perienced hands claim to be able to cast it more 
than a hundred yards, a feat that the tyro will 
scarcely credit ; but ordinarily half that distance is 



POINT JUDITH. 155 

all that is requisite. The line should not be less 
than six hundred and may be a thousand feet long, 
and if of flax should not be over fifteen strands. 
The rod, reel, and line, must be of the very best, 
and the guides and funnel top large, or the angler 
will fail to do himself justice, and will probably lose 
his largest fish. 

The friction is so great in casting, that the thumb 
must be protected by a thumb-stall or cot, as the 
natives call it, or better yet, one for each thumb, so 
that you can cast from either side, and snub the fish 
with either hand. They are made of chamois 
leather, India-rubber, or some equivalent material ; 
and in casting by hand, a similar protection is re- 
quired for the forefinger. A shoemaker's knife is 
admirably adapted to cutting bait. 

If, then, familiar with these things, you shall have 
chosen a favorable time during or at the close of a 
south-easterly storm, and at break of day, accom- 
panied by John Anthony, shall have posted yourself 
upon Bog rock, or the Quohog, which is New Eng- 
land and Indian for hard clam, or upon the famous 
Scarborough, that great station in a heavy north- 
easter, you may anticipate brave sport. The 
waves will come rolling in, streaming out in the 
wind like a courser's mane, with snowy crest, and 
breaking with thundering roar they will sink back 
seething with foam. As the tide rises a few drops 
will fall pattering upon your feet ; shortly the waves 
will leap up to your knees, then plunge into your 
pockets, reach to your waist, pour down your neck, 



156 POINT JUDITH. 

and if you are not on the watch will lift you m their 
embrace and fling you torn and wounded down 
among the shar2>pointed rocks. You must wear 
water-proof clothes, and while you keep your eye 
on the line you must not neglect the inrolling swell, 
but avoid or brace yourself to meet its shock. And 
when the bass seizes your bait, and you have fixed 
the hook by one sharp blow, you must be gentle 
and moderate, only using severe measures where 
they are absolutely necessary. If the blue-fish 
comes, and he does not carry away your hook at the 
first snatch, reel him in as quickly as his indomitable 
pluck and vigor w^ill permit. He is not game when 
you are bass-fishing. If the ungainly flounder, ex- 
hibiting unexpected activity, shall chase and grasp 
your bait, lug him out by main force, treating him, 
though excellent to eat,like the vulgar commoner-he is. 
When the day is advanced, and the game has 
grown wary, you may rest ; and looking out to sea, 
perchance behold the blue-fish chase the menhaden 
and the porpoise devour the blue-fish, and the 
thresher shark plough his way through schools of 
lesser creatures, killing with blows of his powerful 
tail, and then devouring his prey at his leisure. 
You may listen to the " wild waves singing," and 
watch the continual change of the sky and water, 
enjoying the refreshing breeze and pure air, or 
amuse yourself by throwing in the head of a men- 
haden, and noting how quickly the bass that refuse 
your bai't will strike with a great whirl at the float- 
ing object. 



POINT JUDITH. 157 

Two fishermen engaged with their sport were 
once standing upon a rock together, when one struck 
a very large fish supposed to weigh over seventy 
pounds. The sea was high and wild, and made it 
difiicult to gaif the fish, after a wearying struggle 
had reduced him to submission. A favorable oppor- 
tunity was watched when three heavy rollers had 
passed, covering the rock with spray, and the other 
fisherman darted to the edge of the surf to make 
the fittempt. Unfortunately the bass, not being 
quite exhausted, made a short run that delayed the 
operation, till a gigantic wave, rolling in unheeded, 
caught the preoccupied fishermen unawares, engulfed 
them in its green waters, flung one down bruised 
and sore, and carried oif the other who held the 
gafiT, and was nearer the brink, into the deep water 
beyond. Poor fellow, he could not swim, and the 
terror of approaching death passed across his fea- 
tures as he looked up beseechingly and tried to 
cling to the steep and slippery rocks. The waves 
tossed him about like a plaything, bringing him 
close to the rocks, dragging him away, and then 
cruelly hurling him against them. His friend was 
powerless to save him ; but having a stout line, and 
the fish now floating exhausted upon the surface, 
shouted to the drowning man to catch the line and 
support himself by it. This was accomplished, and 
amid the dashing surf, alone with the shadow of 
death upon the water, the skilful fisherman, work- 
ing his way carefully among the rocks, giving to the 
strain of the surging sea, but gaining every inch of 



158 POINT JUDITH. 

line the strength of his tackle would permit, led the 
man and the fish, floating side by side, into a cove 
that was in a measure sheltered from the fury of the 
waves. 

Slowly the line came in ; the man lived, and still 
clung to it, and although occasionally submerged, 
managed to sustain himself sufficiently. N'earer and 
nearer he came, quite close even to the shelving 
rocks, and twice during a lull could have climbed 
them in safety, had not his strength been too greatly 
exhausted. He made a feeble effort, still clinging, 
however, to the line, but was carried back by the 
receding current, and it became apparent his life 
depended upon his friend's ability to help him. 

This was no easy matter ; the strain upon the line 
was excessive, the rocks were wet and slippery, and 
the sea frequently swept across with resistless force. 
Shortening the line as much as possible, the friend 
crept down towards the edge, and taking advantage 
of the first lull, called to the drowning man to cling 
fast with his hands for a moment, and rushed down 
to seize him. The instant, however, the line was 
relaxed, the water carried away its feeble victim, 
who was quickly beyond reach. Ere he could be 
brought back a tremendous wave, resolute to devour 
its prey, came thundering in ; it rose above points 
that had projected many feet out of water, it dashed 
in flying spray high up upon those that it could not 
overwhelm, its crest gleamed and hissed, and with 
one mad leap it sprang over the intervening ledges 
and threw itself upon the fishermen with fearful 



POINT JUDITH. 159 

power. The one upon the rocks was beaten down, 
and only by falling in a crevice and holding fast 
with all his strength was saved from being carried 
oif. When the wave passed he struggled to his 
feet and looked down into the deep water for his 
friend. The line was broken, and man and fish 
were swept away together. 

Danger never deterred a sportsman, but rather 
seems to enhance his enjoyment ; and there is just 
sufficient risk and enough cold water to make fishing 
from the rocks a pleasurable excitement. The 
fiercer the storm and the wilder the water the bet- 
ter the fishing, and the peril is more than counter- 
balanced by the sport. Occasionally, at these times, 
a fisherman will be lost, but more frequently he will 
capture the gigantic fish that has been the ambition 
of his life ; and if he does perish it is in a good 
cause, and he has the sympathies of all his ardent 
brothers of the angle. 

Bass, like other fish, do not feed in a thunder 
shower, but during the latter part of a north-easterly 
or south-easterly storm, and immediately after when 
the wind has hauled to the westward and made 
casting easier, they are taken in the greatest quan- 
tities. In fact it is hardly worth while to fish for 
them at any other time. 

At Point Judith there are some bay snipe and 
plover after the fifteenth of August, and the quail 
shooting which begins on the twentieth of Septem- 
ber is quite good. Blue-fish or horse-mackerel are 
not pursued for sport, but rather pursue the angler, 



160 POINT JUDITH. 

taking oif bis hooks and cutting his line with their 
sharp teeth most unmercifully. In fact a story is- 
told of one that deliberately bit through the line 
above a large bass that had been hooked, and appa- 
rently released him designedly, from fishy friendship. 

That excellent but neglected fish the porgee, 
which the inhabitants call a scup, is plentiful, and 
also the tautog or black fish .; and the bergall, which 
they denominate chogset or cunner, a worthless 
fish, is so abundant as to try the fisherman's temper 
by continually devouring his baits. 

When the sea has subsided and the fishing is over, 
and you have as many fish as you want nicely 
packed in ice, you will have to drive over to the 
depot behind the laziest horse, unless Anthony 
buys a new one, that it was ever your misfortune 
to ride after. The boyish driver, however, enter- 
prising like his father, will poke and wdiip and utter 
that peculiar word comprehensible only to horse- 
flesh, "tschk,'' and if the animal does not absolutely 
lie down in the ditch you will make the seven miles 
in about two hours and a half, and be tliankful that 
you have done so well ; having reached home, what 
stories you will tell of the large fish you captured 
and enormous ones you lost, of the dangers you ran 
and how beautifully you cast, and your friends that 
receive of the game will believe in you. 



THE SOUTH BAY. 161 



THE SOUTH BAT. 

One cloudless day in the fervid month of July, a 
handsome, bright-eyed youth of something over 
twenty summers, opened the gate of the little yard 
in front of Deacon Goodlow's house and strode with 
an elastic step towards the side door. He was evi- 
dently at home and felt no need of ceremony, for 
without pausing to knock he turned the knob and 
entered. 

The deacon's house was one of those innumerable 
romantic little white cottages with wings added after 
the main structure, that dot the flat surface of Long 
Island, or Mattowacs, as the poetical Indians once 
elegantly named the wonderful sand-bar; it was 
hidden in trees and almost covered with vines, and 
had an air of superiority and taste somewhat un- 
usual. 

" Well, Katy," said Harry, addressing a sprightly, 
rosy-cheeked maiden that he encountered inside, 
busy at some pottering woman's work ; " what do 
you think, now ? Your father and mine are going 
fishing to-day. I left them talking it over, and 
arranging that they were to drive over in your 
father's buggy, as our solitary horse is needed for 
other purpose." 

" I am glad of it, Harry ; Mr. Hartley takes too 



162 THE SOUTH BAY. 

little recreation, and father does so like a day on the 
Bay. He was speaking about it only yesterday." 

" But how odd that they should go alone ; I 
wonder why your father does not take you, you like 
the Bay almost as well as he does." 

" Pretty nearly," she replied with a laugh ; " I 
love the breeze and the water, especially when we 
run outside and plunge into the monstrous waves of 
the ocean. It seems so fresh, and limitless, and 
powerful." 

"Yes, and you like to pull out the blue-fish; it is 
not all poetry, for to tell the truth, I have always 
felt convinced from your way of looking at them, 
that every time you caught a fish you thought of 
the pot and fancied how nice he would be on table." 

" Take care, sir, or the next time we go I will 
leave you to your own devices in the way of cook- 
ing. Do you remember when I found you trying 
to cook a big blue-fish on a long stick, over a huge 
hot fire, without any salt or butter?" 

" But the old folks will be sure to fall out over 
politics or polemics, and come home in a dudgeon, 
as they have been near doing before this, your 
father is so fiery ; I hope, for my future peace, his 
daughter does not take after him." 

" Now, Harry ! " accompanied with a deep blush, 
was all the answer, and Katy was turning away, 
knowing instinctively how to punish her saucy lover, 
when Harry hastily continued : 

" I think I have prevented that, however." 

» Have you ? How ? " 



THE SOUTH BAY. 163 

"I suggested something else for them to talk 
about, that will occupy their thoughts most of the 
time." 

With a shy, sidelong glance, like a bird alarmed 
but uncertain of the danger, Katy replied : 

" And what subject was that, pray ?" 

" Our love, Katy." 

"A very silly subject, that need occupy nobody 
any time at aU. You had better say your love, 
sir." 

" N.ow, darling, don't tease, I have only a moment, 
or I shall be too late for the cars." 

"Then, why not go at once? I am full as busy. 
Was not that Jane calling me ? " She made a great 
show of leaving, but managed to remain, evidently 
anticipating something of importance from her 
lover's manner, and in a female way dreading 
though desiring the disclosure. 

" Wait one instant ; I need not repeat how I love 
you, you have heard that often." 

" Yes, indeed." 

" But to-day I am to be admitted to a partnership 
with my old employer, who kindly offered it, with 
some complimentary remarks, so late as yesterday." 

" You deserved it long ago." 

" Not at all, I was well paid for my services ; but 
now" — having drawn the willing but skittish beauty 
towards him, he whispered — ^" now I can keep a 
wife." 

Her lips were close, her cheeks were tempting, 
her eyes turned away, her hands busy with the but- 



164 THE SOUTH BAY. 

tons of his coat, it is not certain he took advantage 
of these opportunities ; but suddenly starting into 
life, she gave him a gentle tap on the ear, pulled 
away, and turning to hide her blushes, called out, as 
she darted from the room : 

" You must catch her first, and the train starts in 
twenty minutes." 

" So it does," he muttered, as the delighted look 
of admiration with which he had regarded her 
faded slowly from his eyes; " what a darling witch, 
it is so full of fun, and yet, as the neighboring poor 
can testify, so gentle, generous, and sympathetic." 
A thousand thoughts of all the loving acts he would 
do for her came into his mind as he hastened towards 
the depot. 

"Well, friend," said Mr. Hartley, as the two 
deacons were journeying along at a sober gait in 
the old-fashioned but comfortable buggy of the 
wealthier, " what a beautiful day it is, not merely 
for our sport, and it could hardly be better, but to 
admire the beauties of nature ! The summer foUage 
looks truly gorgeous in the broad sunshine." 

" Yes, indeed, and the influence of such a day 
must be felt by the moral nature of man. Even upon 
man debased by vice, I believe in the country as a 
moral purifier, and think a system should be devised 
by which criminals would be thrown in contact with 
it as much as possible." 

" I agree Avith you fully, and had an evidence this 
morning how it opens the heart and emboldens the 
affections. You know Harry has long been atten- 



THE SOUTH BAY. 165 

tive to your daughter Katy, and I believe they have 
had a sort of halt' understanding." 

" A fine fellow is Harry ; true, honorable, and 
energetic," said Mr. Goodlow, heartily. 

" He is so, and I, as his father, am proud to admit 
it ; but Katy is a noble girl, and worthy of the finest 
fellow in the world." 

" Well, we start the subject with a hearty 
accord," replied the friend, smiling ; " I can readily 
imagine w^hat will follow, and have no doubt we will 
be equally of accord on that." 

" The short of it is, Harry has just been placed in 
a position that authorizes him to marry, and he 
wants you to trust Katy to him. On the subject of 
support he was satisfactory, and on that of love en- 
thusiastic. He hoped your favorite minister would 
perform the ceremony." 

This last remark was uttered very slowly, for it 
must be known the two deacons belonged to rival 
churches and different persuasions, and had had 
many a contest over form and ritual. _ 

" That is a matter of small moment," was the 
response, " but if any form should be simple it is the 
marriage ceremony. I really think it had better be 
performed in your church, where there is less regard 
for formality." ^ 

" And for that reason I coincided in my son's 
selection ; our church teaches us that while we are not 
to insist upon forms as the essence of religion in any 
of its departments, we are not to indulge prejudice 
against them. That they are immaterial either way." 



166 THE SOUTH BAY. 

*'A strange view, indeed," responded the oj^pos- 
ing deacon, warming to the question ; " strange that 
any one could conceive that the form in which he 
expressed his adoration was unimportant ; in all re- 
ligion, prayer takes the form of the bowed head and 
bended knee. Unseemly postures and acts are 
themselves irreverent, not to advert to the effect 
they must produce upon the mind that indulges in 
them on serious occasions. We owe to our fellow- 
men respectful deportment on solemn occasions, how 
much more so to our Creator. Form is the embodi- 
ment of the spirit of true worship, and partakes of 
its essence and beauty." 

*' We fear," responded his associate, " that form, 
from its very beauty, may distract the heart and 
engross the attention to the neglect of the essentials 
of devotion. Pleasing forms are beautiful to our 
senses, but God looks to the pure heart and humble 
mind ; the formalities of religion too often hide an 
aching void of real principle, and while they quiet 
the conscience produce no good fruit in the soul. 
Therefore, we dread them, lest though the sepulchre 
be whited on the outside it hide rottenness within." 

They were both intelligent men, devoted to their 
sects, which although in belief almost identical, in 
forms were dissimilar ; and they enforced and illus- 
trated their views with great vigor, learning, and 
eloquence, and with the ordinary effect of religious 
discussions, that- each was finally more firmly con- 
vinced that he was in the right. The hopes of theu' 
children were forgotten for the time, an occasional 



THE SOUTH BAY. 167 

sharp innuendo added spice if not acerbity to the 
argument, and before their destination was reached 
a feeling of coklness, approaching dissatisfactiom, 
had sprung up between the two friends. 

There were no blue-fish running, and it was deter- 
mined to try the striped bass that, although small, 
had begun to be plentiful, and in case of their 
absence to tempt the flounders, sea bass, black fish, 
or other like plebeians. In silence they pulled off to 
the fishing ground, and silently they cast overboard 
the anchor-stone and baited their hooks. Fishing 
has a calm, soothing influence incompatible with 
anger or estrangement. Occasional remarks were 
made which would doubtless have soon led to a per- 
fect reconciliation had not the Fates prominently in- 
terfered. Mr. Hartley, who rowed the boat, had 
stationed himself in the bow, and strange to say 
began to take fish as fast as he could land them, 
while Mr. Goodlow, in the stern, usually the favorite 
location, caught nothing. 

Fishing is a contemplative amusement, but when 
one contemplates his associate catching all the fish 
the amusement vanishes. Deacon Goodlow was a 
devotee of the gentle art, fancied himself an expert, 
and never doubted his far excelling his less expe- 
rienced brother ; had great faith in skill as opposed 
to luck, having often expatiated upon the fact that 
he rarely found an equal, and felt fully convinced 
that in skill he was not excelled. 

Now skill is a very necessary thing and wdll tell 
in the long run, but luck is sometimes, doubtless for 



168 THE SOUTH BAY. 

a wise purpose, permitted to triumpli over it. In 
vain did the unfortunate deacon renew his baits, 
change the depth of his sinker, fish on the bottom or 
near the top ; the result was the same. His irritation 
increased and broke forth into ejaculations of impa- 
tience, and a sudden desire to move to some other 
spot. 

"There seem to be no fish here, we had better 
try a new place," he said pettishly. 

" I am doing very well, and doubt whether we 
could better ourselves," replied his associate with 
that hilarity that success engenders, landing two 
bright little bass at once. 

" You do not call that good fishing, they are mere 
sprats. I have taken many a bass of twenty-four 
pounds, and two of over fifty." 

" But you know the run is always small in this 
month." 

" Of course I know that ; but I never saw such 
luck, you must have taken twenty, such as they 
are." 

" More than twenty, thirty at least ; but perhaps 
we had better change places, I have taken more 
than I want and you had better try your hand." 

After some demur and a coquettish but half sulky 
refusal to deprive him of his " good luck," Mr. 
Goodlow complied with his friend's suggestion, but 
wonderful to say the luck changed at the same time ; 
the fish all fled to the sterri of the boat and were 
landed there fiister than they had been previously 
over the bow. In fact, one line seemed to be 



THE SOUTH BAY. 169 

bewitched as though the fish were in a piscatorial 
conspiracy. Even when the unfortunate fisherman ex- 
tended his line and allowed his float to swing round 
beyond the stern and even alongside of his compa- 
nion's, that of the latter would be dragged under at 
every moment, while his would remain undisturbed. 

"Well, I have seen luck before," he began, 
fiercely, " but never such luck as this ; how deep are 
you fishing ? " 

This question, as betraying the possibility of infe- 
rior judgment, fairly stuck in his throat. 

" About three feet." 

" Mine is the same. No, it is mere luck, that is 
all." Anger was making his language slightly un- 
grammatical. 

Mr. Hartley replied, as he landed another brace : 
" Of course it is, and now let's change seats again 
and see if we cannot outwit the fish." 

Being patronized by an inferior fisherman is 
almost unbearable, it implies triumph with nothing 
to justify it ; and an assumption of. superiority will 
be suspected if not intended. So Mr. Goodlow held 
out for a time, saying slightingly : " Oh, it was a 
mere question of luck, mere luck that must soon 
change ; " but as it did not, and as his friend's man- 
ner was soothing and even submissive, he at last 
consented, with the air of conferring a favor, to re- 
sume his old place in the stern. 

At the first cast which Mr. Hartley made after 
returning to his seat at the bow, he hooked and 
landed the largest fish yet seen. This was too much, 
8 



170 THE SOUTH BAY. 

and if people swear inwardly it is greatly to be 
feared the unfortunate deacon will have to report 
hereafter one of the commandments broken on that 
occasion. 

" Come," he said, " we will go home ; another 
time perhaps I can have a little luck. I used to 
think there was something like skill ia fishing, but 
there does not appear to be in catching these misera- 
ble little fish." 

*' Why, my last one must have weighed two 
pounds." 

"Two pounds! Kot an ounce over one. I have 
had enough for this day, and the sun is remarkably 
hot." 

" Oh, I cannot go just yet ; here comes another, 
nearly as large as the last." 

"I insist upon it," Mr. Goodlow continued, having 
reeled up his line and taken apart his rod. " I ^vill 
not stay longer, my horse must be fed, and it is 
late." 

" When a person comes out fishing," replied Dea- 
con Hartley, growing irritated, " it is a poor way to 
be wanting to go home because another catches the 
fish, especially as 'I am perfectly willing to divide 
equally." 

" What do you think I care for those puny little 
fish? You may keep them all, in welcome." 

" I suppose I may if I wish ; they are mine be- 
cause I have caught them, or nearly all; but I will 
give you half if you will cease grumbling at what 
you call your luck." 



THE SOUTH BAY. 171 

" Well, what is it if not luck ! Perhaps you think 
you surpass me in skill and experience," answered 
the other sneeringly. " I tell you I am going home. 
It is ray horse, and you may come or stay, as you 
choose." 

With that he seized the oars and shipping them 
into the nearest rowlocks, commenced furiously 
rowing the boat stern first. But the anchor-stone 
was down, and although he dragged it a few inches, 
he did so slowly and with great labor. Mr. Hartley 
went on deliberately fishing, but of course could 
catch nothing while the water was being disturbed. 

" Pull up the anchor-stone, sir," said Mr. Goodlow 
fiercely, the perspiration streaming down his face. 

" I will do nothing of the kind," responded Mr. 
Hartley. 

The tugging at the oars was resumed, but when 
Mr. Goodlow was nearly exhausted, whether by 
accident or not will probably never be known, the 
oar slipped along the surface throwing a shower of 
water over the quondam friend, fairly taking away 
his breath. Without a word the latter dropped his 
rod, and seizing the bailing scoop, a sort of wooden 
shovel with a short handle, dipped it full of water 
and threw the contents in his companion's face ; the 
latter replied with a fresh douche from the oar. 

The water fairly flew in mimic cataracts for ten 
minutes, till both parties were wet to the skin ; ori- 
ginally, scoop had the best of it, but as skin and 
clothes will not take wetting beyond a certain de- 
gree, oars caught up, and the two irate lights of the 



172 THE SOUTH BAY. 

church were as well drenched as if they had fallen 
overboard. Mutual exliaustion produced a cessation 
of hostilities, and after a moment's pause, Deacon 
Hartley slowly drew up the anchor-stone, and Dea- 
con Goofllow rowed silently to shore. Without a 
word, without a glance, the latter stepped to bis 
buggy, untied the horse, jumped in and rode off. 

Mr.^'Hartley had to secure the boat, collect his 
fish, unjoint his rod, and walk four miles home. The 
day was hot, the road was dusty, the fish were 
heavy, and tired enough he would have been, if an 
acquaintance passing in a wagon had not taken him 
up. The dust having covered him from head to 
foot helped disguise what had happened, and he 
allowed the gentleman to think he had slipped into 
the water. 

The thoughts of the two deacons on the way 
home were not enviable. One had to meet a son, the 
other a daughter, and the latter dreaded the inter- 
view most ; not that he admitted he was most to 
blame, but fearing more her sharp eyes and re- 
proachful countenance. 

" Oh, Harry," said the pretty little girl usually so 
gay, now with sad-looking tearworn eyes, as she 
encountered her astonished lover on his way home 
from the railroad, " your father and mine quarrelled 
dreadfully to-day, so much so that they would not 
ride home together." 

" Just as I expected," replied Harry, triumphant- 
ly ; " your father is so easily excited." 

" No, but he says it was your father's fault, at 



THE SOUTH BAY. 173 

least he does not say so directly, but what he does 
say gives me that impression. Just think, your 
father threw water over mine, and he was all mud 
and dirt Avhen he reached home." 

" Impossible," said Harry, with a laugh, " he must 
have fallen overboard." 

" Oh, no, and your father would not ride home 
with him." 

" How did he get home then ? he certainly would 
not have walked by preference four miles, on so hot 
a day as this. Imagine his half killing himself to 
deprive a person of his company who wished to be 
rid of him." 

" Oh, it must be ; father was so angry, he told me 
I should not see you again." 

This response was illogical, and went far to dis- 
prove itself, but was enforced by her bursting into 
tears. " I have been crying ever since," she sobbed. 

Harry consoled her, sure of her affection ; and 
knowing that parents are a slight affair against 
affection, he brought back smiles to her lips by his 
comments on her account of her father's statement, 
and promised her it would come right if she only 
kept on obeying as scrupulously as she was then 
doing. She punished him for this by flying away 
in her former merry manner, leaving him to seek 
an explanation at home. 

" Father," he said, on arriving there and seeking 
him out, "how spruce you look ; that is your best 
suit. Are you going to pay a visit ? " 

"I believe not, this evening; my other clothes 



174 THE SOUTH BAY. 

were soiled while we were fishing." Strictly true, 
but not all the truth. 

"The deacon across the way came home rather 
muddy, they say. What hick did you have ? Did 
it rain while you were out ? There was not a cloud 
to be seen in New York." 

The father felt it would be useless to evade the 
question, and related the whole story, bearing kind- 
ly the good-natured comments of his son, between 
whom and himself there was a feeling of friendship 
as well as of affection. 

" And now, father," Harry began, after the recital 
was over, " and now how are you going to make up ? 
You will have to make the first step, because you 
were not in the wrong." 

"Or, more truly, because my son loves the 
daughter of the person who has ill-used me. Are 
you not angry at my being left to walk home this 
hot day?" 

" I should be, if that w^agon had not come along ; 
everything depends on that wagon. You know it 
was much j^leasanter than riding with an angry 
man." 

" But then the dust ; my clothes are ruined ; a 
new suit will diminish your patrimony, which is not 
enormous." 

" Then I'll make you a present of a splendid suit 
of black on my wedding day. I am rich, at least in 
expectation, being a partner and no longer a clerk." 

" To tell the truth," continued the father, drop- 
ping the tone of badinage, " I did feel ashamed of 



THE SOUTH BAY. 175 

myself, and was arranging a little plan of reconcilia- 
tion, when our servant girl brought word that Mr. 
Goodlow had forbidden her drawing water from the 
well." 

Harry looked at his father with a surprised, 
troubled, and slightly angry look. The well was on 
Mr. Goodlow's land, but had been used from time 
immemorial by both families, as there was none other 
near. He began to think the matter was more seri- 
ous than he had at first supposed. 

"I felt this to be unchristian," continued his 
father, "and could not bring myself to make the 
first advance after it." 

"I can hardly believe the story, and will cross- 
question the girl," rephed Harry. 

It turned out to be true, however ; the girl had 
been going to the well, as Deacon Goodlow descend- 
ed, " all mud," as she described it, from his buggy, 
and he seeing her at first seemed inclined to avoid a 
meeting, but suddenly changing his mind told her 
angrily never to come there for water again. With 
all due allowance for kitchen exaggeration, the fiict 
could scarcely be disputed, and Harry suddenly 
burst forth : 

" We will dig a well of our own ; I have always 
hated dependence for anything, even on her father, 
and then we'll see — " 

What they would see was not very clear, except 
that they would see the well built, for Hariy, with 
his usual unpetuosity, at once set about making the 
necessary arrangements, his new position enabhng 



176 THE SOUTH BAY. 

liim to supply the requisite means. He engaged the 
men and selected the spot that very evening. 

Next day the well was commenced and advanced 
rapidly towards completion, the water for family use 
heing carted in the mean time from a distance in 
barrels. What the deacon over the way must have 
thought when he saw the excavation progressing 
and the water cart regularly every morning passing 
in front of his door, no one knows ; for not a word 
did he say. He could not have had an easy conscience 
nor a pleasant time, however, for Harry had not put 
his foot on the premises, and consequently Katy's 
eyes were almost as full of water as the barrel. 

It was a long way down to the region of water, 
and if truth, as is generally believed, lies so deep, 
there is no wonder it is rarely reached ; but the 
effort was at length successful, and when the liquid 
veiu was struck the crystal fluid proved plentiful, 
half filling the deep well. 

The water carts ceased their journey, the work- 
men were discharged. Deacon Hartley had a well of 
his own, Harry felt independent ; but there was 
somethins: else wanted. The latter had not exactlv 
evaded Katy, who he knew was pining to see him, 
but, feeling his pride hurt, had not taken as great 
pains as he might to have thrown himself accidental- 
ly in her way. She had felt this neglect, and now 
when his pride was satisfied hers was aroused, and 
she kept herself carefully in-dooi'S. 

It took a week to build the well, and a week had 
elapsed since — that was two weeks of misery, all 



THE SOUTH BAY. 177 

because the fish did not bite as they should have 
done, and neglected scientific aUurements for less 
artistic attractions. Deacon Goodlow was misera- 
ble, because Katy looked unhappy and reproachful, 
occasionally enforcing her reproaches with a sob or 
two. Deacon Hartley was miserable, partly because 
he was ashamed of himself and partly because it 
went against his whole nature to quarrel ; Katy was 
miserable, because her lover had neglected her, and 
she had had no chance to disobey her fixther's in- 
junctions not to see him; Harry was the most 
miserable of the party now that the excitement of 
achieving his independence was over, because he 
missed the presence of his lady-love, and knew in his 
heart he had vented a little of his anger by neglect^ 
ing her. 

Harry was pining for her now in a much more 
rampant way than she had previously pined for him, 
and had revolved twenty impracticable schemes of 
restoring matters to their condition previous to the 
war. The inevitable laws of nature, however, that 
had caused all these mental wounds, helped to bring 
them to a crisis and finally to effect a cure. It was 
Sunday morning, and Harry had resolved twenty 
times he would join Katy on her way to church, for 
she went before her father to teach a class of Sun- 
day scholars, and twenty times resolved that he 
would not. His father had convinced himself as 
many times that neighborly ill-will should be cor- 
rected at a sacrifice even of a little pride, and as 
often that he could not make the first advance ; 
8* 



178 THE SOUTH BAY. 

when a small voice was heard at the door, and elec- 
trified them both. It was not a sweet voice nor the 
tone rich, in fact it might be called harsh and unre- 
fined, but the sound was pleasanter to Harry's ears 
than any he had heard in two weeks. The voice 
belonged to the extra help of Mr. Goodlow's house- 
hold. 

" Please, sir, master said I mussent, but could we 
have a little water from your well ? " 

Harry and his father gazed at each other and then 
at the girl in wonder. 

"Please, sir," she continued, seeing their bewil- 
dered air, and addressing herself to Harry in an in- 
jured tone, "our well has run itself dry. Ever 
since you built yours the water has been getting 
lower, and last night it all went. Master says it's 
on account of the elevation, but I say it's because 
yours is further down hill." 

" Do you mean to say you have no water at all ? " 
said Harry. 

" But I do, then, unless you call mud water ; we 
managed to make tea last night by tying a new bit 
on to the rope ; but wasn't it bitter and gritty, 
though ? You ought to have tasted it ; but to-day 
it's as thick as paste, and you know we cannot send 
a water cart on Sunday." 

" How did you manage for washing ? " 

" That's how it comes we have no water for break- 
fast. We had saved up a little that had settled 
the worst down to the bottom, but we did not have 
enough to wash, and Miss Katy, when she tried to 



THE SOUTH BAY. 179 

use the well water, came out all streaked, and used 
up all that we had put by ; because, as she said, she 
would rather go without her breakfast than go dirty. 
I guess I wouldn't, though." 

" But why did you not send to us before ? " said 
Mr. Hartley, compassionately. 

" Why, because master thought as he had ordered 
away your girl, you would do the like by me ; un- 
less he begged pardon, or something of that sort, 
and he did not feel equal to that after your throw- 
ing him overboard the day you went fishing." 

" He surely never said I threw him overboard ? " 

" No, but I guessed it ; how could he 'a got so 
wet otherwise, and why was he so mad ? " 

" Well, you guessed all wrong ; I did nothing of 
the sort, and hope you have told no one such a silly 
story." 

" Never mind that now," interrupted Harry. 
" Mr. Goodlow is waiting for his breakfast ; so take 
as much water as you want or you will be too late." 

" Give my respects to Mr. Goodlow," added his 
father, " and say he is welcome to water from our 
well at any time, and that I regret it has injured 
his." 

" Yes, and you can add that father will call on 
him this evening, and now be off; I'll draw the 
water for you." This was very polite in Harry, but 
respect for woman, even in the humblest ranks, is 
ever the attribute of an American, and — it is possi- 
ble Harry may have wished to send a message to 
Katy. " Leastways," as the girl would have said^ 



180 THE SOUTH BAY. 

Katy was hardly out of sight of her front gate when 
she heard a step she well knew. 

" Oh, Harry," she said, turning a pair of sorrow- 
ful eyes upon him, that shot reproachful torments 
into his very heart. " How could you ? " 

The sentence was incomplete in its construction, 
but complete enough in its effects ; it Avas enforced 
with a little sob and made Harry about as con- 
temptible a wretch, in his own esteem, as if she had 
rehearsed a set speech of an hour's duration, depict- 
ing his enormities. 

" I am so sorry, Katy. Do you forgive me, T have 
been wretched ? " This was a good tack, and being 
borne out by his appearance and evident contrition, 
went a long way towards securing his pardon. 

What exactly was said, the tones being low and 
the faces close together, will never be discovered, 
but light came back to Katy's eyes, color to her 
cheeks, and a smile, if nothing more, to her lips ; 
and ere the church was reached a happier couple 
could not be found within it. Joy is doubly blessed 
if preceded by sorrow, and only those who have 
known its want can appreciate happiness. 

That Sunday evening, as had been his custom, 
unbroken for many years till the last two weeks, 
Harry presented himself at Mr. Goodlow's gate and 
entered unannounced. It can hardly be said he 
was wholly undisturbed, but outwardly exhibited 
perfect composure, prepared to meet and deter- 
mined to exhaust the worst. Courage disjjels dan- 
ger, and there was nothing and nobody to meet 



THE SOUTH BAT. 181 

more terrible than Katy herself. She was in splen- 
did spirits, full of fun, rendered more touching and 
gentle on account of the recent estrangement, and 
charmed Harry with the renewal of her former 
witchery. He gave himself up to the mere enjoy- 
ment of her presence, following her every motion 
with unwearying admiration, and never removing 
his eyes from her loved form. He seemed as though 
drinking through his eyes her graceful beauty, and 
experienced all those charming sensations that love 
alone bestows. 

He had almost forgotten, basking in present joy 
and dreaming hazily of future happiness, there was 
an angry father in existence, when the latter gentle- 
man appeared at the door. A gleam of surprise 
crossed his features, but Harry at once stepped for- 
ward and was in the act of boldly justifying his 
presence, when he saw another figure in the door- 
way — that of his own parent. 

Mr. Goodlow slowly advanced, and extending his 
hand frankly to Harry, said : 

" I am glad to see you, and hope you will forget 
the errors and weaknesses of humanity, and forgive 
me the annoyance my foolish and unworthy quarrel 
has caused." 

"And you, Katy," said Mr, Hartley, "must do 
the like by me ; we have been guilty of wrong, and 
should only do worse by being ashamed to own it 
before our children, whom our example is most 
likely to affect." 

Harry felt as though he had escaped from a build- 



182 THE SOUTH BAY. 

ing on fire, and at once recovering his elasticity, re- 
plied : 

" 'No 'y. in quarrelling Katy and I never intend to 
follow any one's example. Do we, Katy ? " 

" We only regret," she continued, evading his 
gaze, "that a shadow should have come between 
those we love so dearly." 

" I hope, never to return," replied Mr. Goodlow, 
" and that these weeks of folly and punishment may 
not be lost upon us all ; but let us speak no more of 
it." 

" We have something more serious still to men- 
tion," resumed Mr. Hartley, gaily. " We have been 
settling your wedding-day, and, Katy, you should be 
very grateful, for I named an early one." He took 
her affectionately in his arms, for she had always 
been like a daughter, and kissed her warmly while 
she hid her blushing face. 

" That is right, father," burst forth Harry, enthu- 
siastically. " I suppose you went on the j)rinciple, 
' If 'tis well done, when 'tis done, 'twere well 'twere 
done quickly.' " 

"No, Harry, on an entirely different one," said 
Mr. Goodlow, laughing heartily. " On the principle, 
that ' All's well that ends well.' Though that is but 
a dry joke, as far as we are concerned." 



PROTECTION OF FISH. 183 



PKOTECTION OF FISH. 

The subject of the protection of fish demands 
the consideration of every' political economist, as 
well as of every sportsman in our country, or we 
shall soon be reduced to the condition of France, and 
forced to repopulate our deserted streams and lakes 
and furnish to the people, with great labor and at 
high piice, one of their chief articles of food. In 
olden times, during the epicurean days of Rome, 
and later during the reign of the Catholic fast days, 
the utmost attention was bestowed upon the preser- 
vation, protection, and improvement of fish ; enor- 
mous revenues were invested in immense tanks 
where they were fattened, and different species were 
transported to countries where they were unknown, 
and domesticated in unaccustomed Avaters. With 
the advent of the Roman Catholic religion, several 
foreign varieties were introduced into England, 
among others the fat carp and the lean pickerel ; 
and fish ponds were invariably attached to monas- 
teries and convents. 

Although the religion that ordains fish-eating to 
be fasting, having shrunk from its gigantic reach and 
extent, is confined in our land to a small sect, and 
the inhabitants of the waters are no longer a reli- 
gious institution ; fish must always constitute a con- 



184 PROTECTION" OF FISH. 

siderable portion of the diet of the poor, and an 
acceptable change, if not permanently agreeable, to 
the rich. Whatever serves for food to the people, 
above all to the lower class, deserves the attention 
of the statesman, and any practice that will tend to 
diminish its price demands the assistance of the 
philanthropist. Consider if the price of fish were 
suddenly to double, how far the injury would ex- 
tend, and how much suffering w^ould follow. When 
a gradual change takes place in the cost of any arti- 
cle of food, man adapts himself to altered circum- 
stances, and the loss, though equally great, is not so 
perceptible as when the advance is sudden. 

That the supply of this food can be exhausted, 
and its quality easily reduced, is painfully apparent ; 
streams in the neighborhood of New York that for- 
merly were alive with trout are now totally desert- 
ed. The Bronx, f mious alike for its historical asso- 
ciations and its once excellent fishing, does not now 
seem to hold a solitary trout, or indeed fish of any 
kind. The shad that a few years ago swarmed up 
the Hudson River in numbers incomputable, have 
become scarce and quadrupled in price during the 
last decade. Salmon, most nutritious and noblest 
of fish, which in ancient days paid their yearly visits 
in vast numbers, if early historians are to be be- 
lieved, to our principal rivers as far south as the 
Delaware, are at present taken nowhere to the 
southward of Maine, and in but limited quantities 
even in that wild region. 

On every portion of our sea-coast, in spite of re- 



PROTECTION OF FISH. 185 

plenishment from the mighty ocean, the same dimi- 
nution is visible, while many of our confined inland 
waters are absolutely depopulated. The insatiable 
maw of New York market swallows alike the trout 
from Maine, the bass from Lake Erie, or the white- 
fish from the Sault Ste. Marie, while the parvenus 
that have acquired sudden fortunes in that wonder- 
ful city, endowed with the instincts of neither gen- 
tlemen nor sportsmen, think it magnificent to devour 
trout in Autumn and black bass in Spring, judging 
by their extravagant price that they must be rare 
and therefore good. The rapidity with which a 
section of country can be fished out by energetic 
pot-hunters where the law places inadequate re- 
straint, aud often in spite of the law's restraint, has 
been remarkably evidenced in the history of Sulli- 
van County. When the Erie Railroad was still in- 
complete, and the tide of explorers had just com- 
menced to penetrate beyond Goshen, and only occa- 
sional stragglers reached the land of jDromise a,nd 
performance beyond Monticello ; the swamps were 
alive with woodcock and the streams with trout. 
But as the railroad advanced aud gave improved 
facility of travel, so-called sportsmen poured over 
the country in myriads, following up every rivulet 
and ranging every swamp, killing without mercy 
thousands of trout and hundreds of birds, boasting 
of their baskets crowded to overflowing, and count- 
ing a day's sport by the hundred ; till Bashe's Kill, 
where the pearly-sided fish once dwelt abundantly, 
was empty, and the broad Mongaup, the wild Calli- 



186 PROTECTION OF FISH. 

coon, and even the joyous Beaver Kill, with its in- 
numerable tributaries, were exhausted. The wood- 
cock disappeared from the cold black mud of the 
springy swamps, the trout no longer broke the sur- 
face of the noisy rills of that picturesque region, 
and the hunters and fishermen turned their atten- 
tion and carried their clumsy rods, bait-hooks, 
cheap guns, and case-hardened consciences, else- 
where. 

So it has been and wall be everywhere, unless the 
people and the real sportsmen take the matter in 
hand ; the farmers, who are after all to be the salva- 
tion of our institutions, lose by the destruction of 
game one of the greatest attractions of their lands, 
and are interested in preserving for themselves and 
their city friends the wild dwellers in the lakes and 
brooks from wanton and ruthless destruction. Law- 
givers are concerned in the passage of proper laws on 
account of public interest, and the increasing neces- 
sity of cheap food that a rapidly, augmenting popu- 
lation engenders. Sportsmen have the greatest 
stake, for if they would retain for their old age and 
leave to their children the best preserver of health, 
a love of field sports, they must protect game-birds 
and fish. They should discourage, by their conver- 
sation and example, all infringement of the law or 
any cruel or wasteful prosecution of what should be 
sport. If they find a man who destroys, for the 
purpose of destroying, they should not only shun 
but expose him ; if they meet with a case of palpa- 
ble infraction of the law, they should enforce punish- 



PROTECTION OF FISH. 187 

ment ; by these means, and the enactment of judi- 
cious statutes, the beautiful wild creatures that form 
so pleasant an addition to the charms of country 
life, may be preserved in undiminished numbers for 
all time. 

The first necessity, however, is that proper and 
uniform enactments should be passed in every por- 
tion of our extensive nationality. If the close times 
differ in adjoining states, fish will be killed in one 
and sold in the other ; it is useless to attempt to for- 
bid the catching of trout in Maine, if they can be 
eaten in New York. Pinnated grouse, killed on the 
western prairies where they are fast being extermi- 
nated, are sold openly in New York markets in con- 
sequence of their omission from the game law, during 
the entire spring, until the heat of the weather pre- 
vents their transportation. Black bass are frequent- 
ly exposed on the hucksters' stands heavy with 
spawn, and pike-perch are hardly regarded as desir- 
able in any other condition. 

The universal rule should be comprehensive and 
simple, as the habits of the fresh water fish are sufii- 
ciently well known ; protection should be given 
during the spawning season, and for such a period 
before and after as to prevent the annihilation of 
those who have survived the numerous dangers that 
surround them, and are ready for the duties of par- 
turition, and to allow them to recover from the 
exhaustion resulting from the operation. 

No trout should be killed except from the first of 
March to the first of October ; no lake trout except 



188 PROTECTION" OF FISH. 

from the first day of February to the first day of 
November, and no black bass or mascallonge from 
the first day of January to the first day of June. 
These times may be restricted for certain localities 
where greater protection is necessary, but should, 
under no circumstances, be enlarged. Trout spawn 
from the middle of October to the latter part of 
November, and do not recover their condition till 
the opening of Spring. Lake trout spawn about the 
same time, and mascallonge and black bass in 
March, April, or even as late as the early part of 
May. 

None of these fish should be taken in nets, nor by 
spearing, and no fykes, seines, or gill-nets should be 
used in the waters which they inhabit. Stringent 
regulations to this effect are necessary, as it has 
been the habit of the market fishermen of the 
northern section of our country to use a net with 
meshes small enough to catch yearling trout, and 
which they frequently throw to one side and leave 
to perisli miserably. This net fishing is continued 
all winter, so that not only are thousands of large 
fish destroyed in the act of spawning, or just after 
doing so, but millions of the young, the seed of the 
harvest, are slain without profit, being left on the 
ice to freeze. 

Spearing is also terribly fatal. None can escape 
the sharp eye of the spearsman, and although many 
more are wounded than killed they rarely recover, for 
their natural enemies, the eels, are ever on the alert 
for such occurrences, and fastening themselves upon 



PROTECTION OF FISH. 189 

the wounded spot snck out the little life that is left. 
There are many streams of New Jersey which, by 
persistent gigging, as it is called, have been divested 
of every swimming thing, so that they are abso- 
lutely uninhabited. Not only trout, but catfish, eels, 
and suckers, have met the same untimely fate, and 
now boys and men search vainly for their prey. 

By fair fishing no stream or pond can be entirely 
exhausted ; when trout have the privilege of biting 
or not, they will exhibit sufficient circumspection to 
perpetuate their species ; but when they can be fol- 
lowed during the hours of darkness to their retreats, 
and exposed by the glare of the jack, are liable to 
death by the fatal spear, or in case they may be 
enveloped by the all-devouring net, they have no 
defence or escape, and must soon disappear entirely. 
Their numbers, instead of helping them or delay- 
ing the catastrophe, excite the cupidity of the 
poacher, and accelerate instead of deferring their 
destruction. 

Interested parties in various sections of the coun- 
try, endeavor to convince themselves and others 
that trout change their nature in these favored 
localities, and either spawn from time to time as 
fancy dictates, or postpone the performance till 
winter's frosts have driven profitable visitors to their 
city homes. The proprietors of the frontier taverns, 
where sportsmen congregate in search offfinny prey, 
boldly assert that there are several kinds of brook 
trout, of which one variety spawns in September, 
another in October, and so on in such manner that 



190 PEOTECTION OF FISH. 

it is always right and proper to fish for them. Na- 
turalists have, as yet, failed to discover this pecu- 
liarity or describe these varieties ; and although they 
know that individuals may diifer casually or delay 
the act a few weeks, they recognise one well known 
spawning season. The ova of trout are largely 
developed in September, and, except in the colder 
latitudes and where they are extremely abundant, 
these fish should be exempt after the first of that 
month; but in October and November, pressing 
hunger should be the only excuse for killing them. 

The laws, however, are not so much to blame as 
the neglect of their enforcement ; perfect statutes 
will not answer if they are not carried out, and the 
first duty of sportsmen's clubs and of individual 
sportsmen, a duty to humanity, to themselves, and 
to their fellow creatures, is to enforce the game 
laws. By game laws are not meant those barbarous 
statutes of England that made it more criminal in a 
poor man to slay a hare than a human being — sta- 
tutes that are deservedly odious to free men, and 
Avhich by no possibility could be introduced into the 
New World ; but provisions for the protection and 
preservation of the wild inhabitants of our woods 
and waters, a common heritage of beauty and sus- 
tenance, and the property of our citizens indiscrimi- 
nately. These creatures are a considerable source 
of wealth, worthy the most careful attention ; they 
breed and increase of themselves without care or 
expense ; and constitute a large portion of the stock 
of our markets. It would be an interesting iavesti- 



PROTECTION OF FISH. 191 

gation to ascertain how mucli money is paid yearly 
in the City of New York for the wild deer and 
game birds of the west, the sea fishes of our coast, 
the finer varieties of our inland waters, and the sal- 
mon of Canada. The latter, alone, amounts to 
hundreds of thousands of dollars, and is a severe 
tax paid to a foreign country for the fatuity that 
drove those noble fish from our own rivers. 

This vast source of revenue will, however, disap- 
j)ear, unless precautions are taken to prevent the 
untimely slaughter of these unprotected creatures. 
If their periods of incubation are disregarded, their 
nests and spawning-beds broken up, and themselves, 
when engaged in the duties of maternity, disturbed 
or slain, they will diminish rapidly till the forests 
shall cease to be vocal with their harmony, and the 
water animated with their gambols. 

In England not only do game ^^reseiwes produce 
a good rent from enthusiastic sportsmen, but the 
fisheries, particularly of salmon, are extremely valu- 
able as commercial enterprises. At present, in our 
our country, we only recognise the value of these 
advantages by their loss. The Tay produces a 
rental of $70,000 yearly for the salmon fisheries, 
and so profitable have fishing rights become, that 
several rivers that were once exhausted have been 
restored, and now yield large revenues. 

If we would have salmon at our own doors, we 
also must restock the Hudson, the Connecticut, and 
the numerous other rivers that were once frequented 
by them. But the trout and the black bass are still 



192 pr6tection' of fish. 

with us, and by decent care and treatment may be 
plenteous, for the pleasure and support of ourselves, 
our children, and our children's children. Consi- 
derable attention has been expended upon some of 
the ponds and streams on Long Island ; and although 
the poacher makes occasional depredations, and 
Im-king through the bushes ]3lants his net, or with 
wriggling worm draws forth his imseasonable prey 
during the forbidden periods, the improvement 
already is remarkable. Ponds that were once empty 
of fish are made beautiful by the splashes of the 
playful trout, and streams that were deserted are 
replenished. Enforce the law thoroughly, and dis- 
continue unreasonable slaughter, and fish, from their 
enormous fecundity, must increase immensely. 

It is probable that the localities in the neighbor- 
hood of our large cities have passed their worst 
days, and that the beautiful lakes and rivers, en- 
sconced in the wild woods and amid the green hills 
of our unopened country, are in the most danger. 
A cockney sportsman, by which we mean not a city 
sportsman, but him who, wherever born or bred, 
fishes only for quantity, and from a vain-glorious 
spirit of boastful rivalry, is, indeed, a ruthless thing ; 
he spares neither fish, flesh, nor fowl, whether he 
can use them for food, or must leave them to 
putrify, and regardless of the means or implements 
he employs. This merciless biped invaded Moose- 
head lake one year, armed with fly and bait rod, 
and with two additional trolling rods projecting 
from each side of his boat as he moved from place 



PROTECTION OF FISH. 193 

to place, murdered thousands of glorious trout ; 
supplying his own ^Yants, the public table, and the 
hog-pen — for the latter was separated from his feed- 
ing place — till the pigs, disgusted at his brutality, 
were surfeited, and bushels of putrescent fish had to 
be buried or thrown into the lake. Others, almost 
as murderous, roam the north woods of the State 
of New York, and even penetrate as far as the un- 
broken shores of Lake Superior, threatening anni- 
hilation to our game of every kind. The man who 
kills an animal, bird, or fish, knowing that it must 
be left to spoil, justifies the charge of cruelty 
against our class, and deserves the scorn and con- 
demnation of all right-thinking men. 

Wanton injury to public property, in game, 
should be punished precisely as similar injury to 
public property in grounds or buildings, by incar- 
cerating the ofl[ender in prison ; for of the two, the 
latter is less injurious in its ultimate results. A 
building may be replaced, but who can restore life 
to the fish that bears a thousand undeveloped young 
in its bosom, or can give back to the starving fawn 
the mother that has been slain at its side ? Mere 
pecuniary fines are an insuflacient punishment ; the 
poaching criminal is the poorest, as he is the mean- 
est, of offenders, and laughs at any attempt to col- 
lect penalties that are not enforced by imprison- 
ment ; while the wealthy cockney is willing 
to run the risk of fine if he can, by taking the 
advantage of honest sportsmen, have the chance 
of boasting of his wonderful prowess and suc- 
9 



194: PEOTECTION OF FISH. 

cess. A few months in jail would cure the reck- 
lessness of the former and cool the ardor of the 
latter. 

A still more murderous proceeding, so infamous 
that it is rare even with professional poachers, is to 
cast poison into the water, thus slaying, by one fell 
process, large and small, young and old. Condem- 
nation of such a practice is unnecessary; and were 
it otherwise, fit language could hardly be found to 
depict its enormity. 

By the introduction of unsuitable fish much injury- 
is occasioned, more frequently through ignorance 
than wilfulness. Perch placed in a sluggish trout 
pond, like many of those on Long Island, Avill 
devour the young fry, and soon diminish the yield ; 
and pickerel, which are especial pets of our farmers, 
although nearly worthless for food or sport, have 
devastated some of the best ponds in the country. 
The former are devotedly fond of minnows or small 
fish of any kind, and such bold biters as to give rise, 
in England, to the story of a country gentleman 
who enticed an ardent angler to his house by stock- 
ing one of his ponds with several dozen perch, all 
but one of which the visitor captured on the day 
after his arrival, before breakfast. The pickerel is 
exceedingly voracious, and also right fond of his 
smaller fellow fish for dinner. 

To meet these cases the ponds must be drawn ofiT, 
as neither perch nor pickerel remain in running 
water, and the waters must be re-stocked. In fact, 
wherever, from any cause, the drain is greater thah 



PKOTECTION OF FISH. 



195 



the supply, the deficiency must be made good by 
artificial means. 

By these means can the seductive Httle beauties, 
whether of the feathered, furred, or scaly tribe, 
that aUure us to the great woods, the pleasant mea- 
dows, or the sparkling brooks, be preserved through 
endless time in undiminished abundance, furnishing 
the incentive that leads us away from our dull books 
or wearying cares, the crowded streets, the congre- 
gations of eager men, the trials and excitements of 
business, to gentle communings with the hills and 
skies, to contemplative musings beneath the leafy 
forests, or by the noisy water-falls, strengthening 
our nerves, renewing our hold of life, and elevating 
our moral nature. 




196 FLY-MAKING. 



FLY-MAKING. 

Before making an artificial fly, it is essential to 
ascertain and select the best materials, and the neces- 
sary implements for the purpose. In the Game Fish 
of North America the author has explained the sim- 
plest and easiest mode of tying a fly, and if there be 
any person who has no't read that work he sliould 
procure it at once. The instructions there contained 
must be first mastered before the follov/ing are 
attempted, lest discouragement should result ; and 
no one that does not desire great accuracy and 
finish need waste the time and labor of understand- 
ing and executing the ensuing directions. There are 
a few persons who wish to tie a fly handsomely ; 
this chapter is written for them. The fish probably 
care little whether the fly is made at Conroy's esta- 
blishment, of the finest materials and from the most 
approved patterns, or by some unknown German 
wholesale dealer, of any. chance feathers. 

Remember, however, that he who strives not 
after perfection never attains mediocrity, and the 
improvement of himself is one half of the angler's 
pleasure. If we are content with an ungainly fly, 
we will be satisfied with inferiority of rod and tackle ; 
and although the fi^h may not see the diflference, the 
angler may become, from neglecting one point, 
slovenly in all. A well-made fly is a beautiful 



FLY-MAKING. 197 

object, an ill-made one an eye-sore and annoyance ; 
and it is a great satisfoction both to exhibit and exa- 
mine a well-filled book of handsomely tied flies. 

Nothing can be thoroughly done unless strict 
attention is given to minutiae. The material must 
be selected and protected mth the greatest care, the 
scissors and knife must be sharp, the spring pliers of 
suitable strength, and the nails of the workman must 
be long and his hands scrupulously clean. Here- 
after the table-vice, the use of which was recom- 
mended in the Game Fish of North America, and 
which will be found both convenient and for extreme 
neatness necessary, will be dispensed with, and the 
hook held in the hand during the entire operation. 
This at first may appear awkward, require more 
time, and give an inferior result ; but sad would 
be the case if the loss of a vice were to diminish a 
man's capabilities. 

The selection of the hook depends mainly upon 
the fancy of the fisherman, and partly upon the 
locality of its destined use. If fish are scarce and 
shy, select one that will insure striking ; if they are 
abundant, but strong and vigorous, choose one that 
will hold. In trout-fishing there are two that bear 
the palm in striking, the sneck bent and the Kirby 
bent Limerick ; in holding a fish after he is struck, 
my preference is for Warren's Lake-trout hook, 
which, however, does not make a handsome fly ; for 
salmon-fishing, the O'Shaunessey Limerick is the 
general favorite. The objection to the straight or 
hollow-pointed Limerick, is that it may be drawn 



198 FLY.MAKING: 

over a flat surface without catching, Avhile the point 
of the O'Shaunessey, by projecting, catches and 
penetrates. 

Fish-hooks of the best quality of home manufac- 
ture, of all shapes and sizes, may be obtained at 
from twenty-five to seventy-five cents a hundred, 
and will be found equal if not superior to any Eng- 
lish hook at double the price, or they can be 
manufactured of any shape desh'ed. 

So few persons make their own flies in this coun- 
try that none of the tackle-makers sell the mate- 
rials, and hence the amateur will have to collect 
the latter as opportunity offers. Gut, of course, can 
be purchased anywhere; but the strongest kind of 
that suitable for salmon-fishing is often difficult to 
obtain, if not entirely out of the market. In trout- 
fishing, select fine, round, transparent strands, and 
pay from one to two dollars per hank of one hun- 
dred strands ; for salmon choose the strongest and 
roundest, and pay from three to four dollars. Gut 
is imported from Spain and Italy, and is made by 
drawing out a dead silk-worm till it is of the proper 
fineness ; and none imported from the East, and no 
imitation of grass, sinew, or the like, is worth using. 
The quality can be determined by its hardness ; if it 
resists the teeth well, it is good ; age weakens and 
finally decays it. 

The best wax, although it is by no means perfect, 
is made of one part of resin, one of beeswax, and 
four of shoemaker's wax, the two former melted 
together and poured into water, and then worked in 



FLY-MAKING. 199 

with the latter. It should be kept in a small piece 
of leather. Shoemaker's wax itself is the strongest, 
but is sticky in warm weather and hard in cold. 
The best silk is the finest sewing-machine silk, 
marked with three O's on the spool ; but for very 
small trout-hooks the better plan is to twist two or 
three strands of spool floss-silk together and wax 
them carefully. 

Tinsel of a superior kind is difficult to obtain ; the 
silver should be both variegated and plain, and the 
yellow either gold or well covered with gilt, and 
both flat and wound over fine silk. A mixture of 
both sorts of a poor quality is used to tie linen 
goods, and can be obtained at the furnishing stores, 
but a better article is to be had from the importers 
of gold and silver braids. The proper kind of floss- 
silk comes in spools, and can be wound off by the 
single thread over the hand till a proper thickness 
is attained, and will work much better than the 
common floss skeins. If the latter are used, they must 
be divided uito several strands and are apt to bunch. 

Worsted of all colors can be obtained in the 
rough, or the yarn may be picked or used intact ; 
the former is the best plan, and rivals mohair in 
appearance. 

Mohair may be purchased from the importers of 
woollens, while it seems impossible, except by direct 
Importation from the English tackle-shops, to obtain 
either pig's hair or seal's fur. For salmon-flies the 
two last are infinitely preferable, having a gloss that 
no other material possesses. 



200 FLY-MAKING. 

Mohair and camlets are the finest selection of 
goat's hair (the former being carded and the latter 
combed), and work beautifully. The most elegant 
flies are those with silk bodies, but they are rarely 
so effective as those of mohair. Many of the wild 
animals of our woods furnish a fine fur, such as the 
grey, red, and black squirrels, martin, mink, rabbit, 
and others. 

A golden pheasant is indispensable for salmon-flies, 
and a spoiled skin can be obtained from the taxider- 
mists at from two to five dollars, according to their 
scarcity. Hackles for salmon-flies should be large 
and from matured cocks, those for dyeing delicate 
colors pure white ; while for trout-flies they should 
be small, either from hens or from cocks not over 
two years old, and taken from the upper part of the 
head. They must taper well to the point and not 
have a stiff stem, and should have the fibre about 
the length of the hook shank. For wing-flies they 
must be smaller than for hackle-flies and palmers, 
and the superfluous fibres are to be stripped off be- 
fore the feather is tied on. Small neck feathers of 
almost any bird will make a hackle sufiiciently large 
for the midge flies. The natural colors afford 
abundant variety for trout-flies, but for salmon the 
gayest must be dyed. The necessary colors are red, 
claret, blue, orange, purple, and yellow ; and by suit- 
ing the dye to the natural color, so that the latter 
shall shine through, a fine effect is often produced. 
Considerable practice nnd experience will be neces- 
sary in selecting hackles to distinguish the weak 



FLY-MAKING. 201 

from the harsh, and to determine the proper size and 
elasticity. Collect all varieties of dimension and 
color, and tying each selection round the roots with 
a thread, keep them in separate papers. After a 
while, those that experience shall have proved to be 
unsuitable may be discarded. 

The feathers of small birds make good wings for 
trout flies, and there is not generally much difference 
in their color. Our brown thrush is nearly the 
shade of the English land-rail ; the robin furnishes a 
fine and cohesive feather ; the woodcock's tail makes 
a pretty fly, .while the mallard and wood duck are 
indispensable. 

There are two distinct feathers from the mallard 
which are used for different flies ; the brown and 
grey mallard feather, both taken from the drake, 
the former from the back near the wings, and the 
latter from the body beneath the wings. The bird 
must be in good plumage, and under the most favora- 
ble circumstances they are both, except in simple 
wings as hereafter described, difficult feathers to tie ; 
the fibres, although very fine, being apt to separate. 
Another light feather, much easier to handle than 
the grey mallard, is taken from the back of the can- 
vas-back, but is of rather too pale a color ; that from 
the red-h,^ad is of darker grey. For salmon flies a 
larger range is requisite. The turkey of all shades, 
but especially the black and brown of the wild bird, 
is the main-stay ; the golden pheasant's tail is some- 
what similar ; the peacock gives us excellent feathers 
of many shades, and the finer herls from the eyes of 
9* 



202 FLY-MAKING. 

the tail add lustre to a mixed whig. Peacock and 
ostrich herls are used for the heads and bodies of 
certain specimens. Ibis, macaw, guinea-fowl, blue- 
jay, king-fisher, parrot, are all necessary ; while the 
Argus pheasant, although injured by the water, 
makes an exquisite wing, and the silver pheasant is 
used with effect in black bass flies. 

For dyed feathers the pure white of the swan 
furnishes an excellent material, while crossing colors, 
such as yellow over ibis, produces great brilliancy. 
The mallard and canvas-back are also favorites for 
dyeing. The principal shades are yellow, blue, and 
purple. 

We will now proceed to make a salmon-fly after 
the simplest plan on a large hook, and remember 
that the point is held down, and when the further 
side is spoken of, it refers to it in that position ; the 
head is always towards the right and that is called 
the upper part, and towards it is above. 

Select a piece of stout gut a little longer than the 
shank ; pare down the ends with a knife ; double 
them together so that one shall extend beyond the 
other; insert the picker between them, bend at the 
top and shape it by twisting and pinching the ends. 
If the hook is very large it is well to take several 
strands of gut and first twist them together by means 
of a vice fastened to each end, while they are wet 
and before shaping them over the picker. When 
the gut is prepared lay it down and take a well 
waxed piece of silk about six inches long, and hold- 
ing the hook in the left hand, wind a number of 



FLY-MAKING. 203 

separated coils from the lower towards the upper 
end of the shank, but not quite to the head. If the 
silk is well waxed it will remain in its place while 
you pick up the gut with your right hand, and lay 
it along the under side of the shank upon these 
coils. Hold it there with your left while you wind 
firmly and closely toward the bend ; catch the last 
turn beneath the gut or pass a half hitch, and cut 
off the end. Take a fresh piece of silk, always 
thoroughly waxed, and pass a few turns over its end 
so as to fasten it ; then hold a piece of tinsel four 
times as long as the shank between your left fore- 
finger and the further side of the hook, just project- 
ing above it, and nearly vertical ; pass three turns 
over it, and wind the silk in separated or loose coils 
towards the head and let it hang there. Fasten the 
spring pliers on to the lower end of the tinsel length- 
ways with it, and holding the shank in the right 
hand, with the left forefinger in the pliers, twist 
several turns down and then back to form the tag, 
covering the edges of the first turns with the second 
carefully and neatly ; let the pliers hang ; pass the 
hook to the left hand; unwind the silk with the 
right down to the tinsel ; fasten off with three turns 
and cut the tinsel close to the hook. Unwind from 
the floss-spool over your right hand a dozen strands, 
and smoothing them evenly together and holding 
them against the hook with the left, tie in the ends 
firmly, and again coil the tying silk toward the head 
out of the way. You may wind the floss with either 
hand or with the pliers as you please ; if you wind 



204 FLY-MAKING. 

witli the right hand, hold the hook in the left and 
press the second finger on each turn as it is pas^^ed; 
this is called stopping it or using the stop. Aftei- 
covering about one sixteenth of an inch, seize the 
end between your second and third or third and 
fourth fingers, and hold it firmly while you bring 
down the tying silk and pass three turns ; holding 
the silk in that way is called using the catch, and is 
difficult to acquire with facility. Cut the floss off 
neatly, and selecting a feather from the golden 
pheasant top-knot, lay it on its face, — the side of the 
feather which lies nearest the bird from which it is 
taken, is the inside or back, and the contrary side 
the outside or face, — -and secure it firmly. Stop the 
tying silk and take up your hackle, which should 
have been previously prepared by stroking back and 
pulling out a few fibres toward the point, and hold- 
ing it by the point Avith the right hand, lay it on its 
face with the butt towards the left so that the bare 
spot shall come at the upper end of the floss silk tip, 
and pass two turns of the flying silk ; insert a piece 
of tinsel in the same manner parallel to and just 
over the hackle, and having fastened it, hold the 
tying silk with the catch ; take up the dubbing of 
mohair with your right hand and spin it over the 
tying silk towards the left, having agnin taken tlie 
latter into the right as soon as you have caught the 
end of the mohair with the stop. Sliape the mohair 
so that the body shall taper and twist it evenly 
togetiier with the tying silk towards the shoulder, 
using the stop all the way, and do not carry it too 



FLY-MAKING. 205 

close to the head ; pull off the superfluous mohair 
with the fingers of the right hand and pass the silk 
four turns over the upper end of the body, and 
winding it towards the head slip it between the 
gut and the hook. In this way you can always 
secure the tying silk when you wish to lay doAvn 
your work. Spring the pliers on to the tinsel, and 
with the right forefinger pass four^ even open coils 
carefully and regularly ; unwind the silk, and having 
secured the tinsel replace it. If these coils are im- 
perfect or irregular, neatness cannot be obtained. 
Having cut off the tinsel, catch with the spring pliers 
the butt of the hackle and follow the edge of the 
tinsel ; rolling the hackle on its back so that the 
fibres shall point down the shank. When you reach 
the shoulder pass several turns of the hackle close 
above one another, and bringing down the tying silk 
secure the butt. If one hackle is not sufiicient, and 
it rarely is, introduce a new hackle close above the 
first, precisely as you did the other, only on its back, 
and wind a sufficient number of close coils and again 
fasten it. The second hackle, if weak, may be fas- 
tened in on its back by the butt, and wound with the 
point. 

The silk being hitched under the gut cut it off and 
apply a new piece as you did the second, and wind 
it towards the shoulder, letting it hang close down 
to the hackle. Prepare the wings by cutting with 
a sharp knife a few fibres from each of two mated 
feathers, together with a little of the stem, so that 
the fibres shall not be separated, and taking one 



206 FLY-MAKING. 

piece by the butt in the right hand, lay it on the side 
of the hook next to you, and holding it with the left 
pass two turns securely, but not so tight as to de- 
range the feather ; then catching the silk, pull the 
butt fearlessly into its proper place, and passing 
another turn firmly, hitch the sUk under the gut, and 
bring it over the reversed way on top of the wing. 
Cut ofi" the butt and taking the hook in the left hand 
with the head towards the left, apply and hold the 
other wing with the right hand. Still keeping the 
hook reversed and wind two turns of silk with the 
left hand from you, and having arranged the butt 
pass another turn and hitch the silk again under the 
gut, so as to reverse it for the second time. If the 
wings are in their proper place, equally on each 
side of the hook, restore the latter to its original 
position in the left hand, and having cut off the butt 
neatly, pass as many turns as you think advisable ; 
then having with your nails stripped off the fibres 
from the butt end of an ostrich herl, tie it in with the 
point towards the left and the elevated ridge of its 
stem above. Hitching the thread again mider the 
gut, wind with the spring pliers the herl in close 
coils to form the head ; secure and cut it close, and 
then stopping one end of silk under your forefinger 
whip the other over it three turns and draw all tight. 
Apply a little varnish at the head and your fly is 
finished. 

To strengther. the fly, it is well to use a little var- 
nish before the head is commenced, and even before 
the wings are laid, but the writer's experience goes to 



FLY-MAKING. 207 

prove that the wings are the last part of the fly to 
give out. The head will be smaller if instead of the 
ordinary tying silk three single strands of floss are 
used. 

To make a handsome fly, fasten the hook, the tag, 
the tip, and the tail as directed, then preparing an 
ostrich herl as for a head, tie it in and wind seve- 
ral coils close to and covering the butt of the tail, 
holding the hook in the right hand with the silk 
coiled up out of the way, and using the pliers to guide 
the herl. Secure the end, apply with the left hand 
at the nearer side of the hook, the tinsel, and after- 
wards at the further side floss, for the body. Coil 
the tying silk out of the way, and with the left hand 
wind the floss half way up the shank and secure it ; 
then tie in a hackle and some dubbing as heretofore 
directed, and having spun the latter on the tying 
silk with the right hand, work it up towards the 
head for the second division of the body, and secure 
it firmly. Hitch the silk under the gut, and thrust- 
ing the butt of the hackle down through the gut 
loop, with the pliers sprung on to the tinsel, and on 
the left forefinger coil the tinsel up as far as the 
hackle ; withdraw the latter from the loop, hold it 
and the hook in the left hand, and with the right 
forefinger continue the tinsel to the head. Secure 
it ; wind and secure the hackle as heretofore, and 
apply a new piece of tying silk composed of strands 
of floss. 

Select a few fibres of various feathers, Avhich, com- 
bined, will produce a pleasing effect, and holdijig 



208 FLY-MAKINa. 

them all together in the left hand twist the lower 
half, that nearest the stem several times, and break 
it with the nails of the right thumb and linger, till 
the fibres are softened at the spot where they are 
to be tied to the hook. Include with them a piece 
of herl, and applying them with the right hand to 
the hook, hold them and it wifh the left, while you 
take sufficient turns of silk with the right, hitch the 
silk and springing the pliers on to the herl, wind and 
fasten the head and finish off. 

There may be as many joints or divisions as fancy 
shall dictate ; and they can be either of floss silk, 
mohair, or other material. To conceal the joints 
herl may be wound like a head or a few turns of 
hackle taken, or two small feathers from the golden 
pheasant's neck may be applied, one above and the 
other below, and after being loosely tied they may 
be drawn down by the butts till they are separate 
round the entire joint. The favorite feather for the 
tail is the golden pheasant top-knot, but in many 
flies scarlet worsted is preferable, and the fibres of 
other feathers may be substituted. In making a 
mixed wing as it is called, separate thig fibres as 
much as possible, and after the wing is fastened, a 
long golden pheasant top-knot tied over it will 
often improve the effect. It is common to add to the 
wing two fibres of blue macaw, one on each side, 
and to tie them properly the silk should be reversed 
by passing it under the gut, as directed for tying 
simple wings. Care and experience are requisite to 
the selection of a handsome mixed wing, and fibres 



FLY-MAKING. 209 

Df mallard or wood duck, plain or dyed, are usually 
a component part. Delicate feathers produce a finer 
effect than coarse ones. 

In tying in an entire plume reduce it to the 
proper size by pulling off the fibres, and if the stem 
is large pare it away and always flatten and work it 
with the nails ; then tie it loosely till it is properly 
arranged, and finally, secure it with a number of 
turns. It will slip unless made unusually firm, which 
the smallness of the head will readily permit. 

Where the tail is worsted, it may be made of 
several thicknesses, left longer than necessary, and 
pared down and picked out after the fly is finished. 
As it is essential that in making a head, the ridge of 
the stem of the herl should be above, and as it is often 
obstinate in its refusal to take that position, it may 
be wound either way, — that is, from you or towards 
you. 

Care should be taken with simple wings that each 
is in the same relative position to the body, and that 
the fibres are not separated ; with this object not 
only must the thread be reversed as above directed, 
but cohesive feathers should be selected. Some are 
exceedingly difiicult to tie, while others, such as the 
pheasant and turkey, retain their place readily. They 
should be selected from feathers taken from the 
opposite sides of the bird; and if two or more differ- 
ent kinds are to be used, the first wing should be 
completed before the other is commenced, and before 
the thread is reversed. 

In rolling an ordinary feather in j^lace of a hackle, 



210 FLY-MAKING. 

tlie same course may be taken as with the latter, but 
the better way where it is large enough is to strip off 
the fibres of one side, and then pare away the stem 
with a sharp knife. This requires care lest the knife 
slip and cut your hopes in twain. The same may be 
done with a simple hackle where great neatness is 
required, except that the stem does not need paring. 

The tinsel may be double, tied in on opposite sides 
of the hook and wound contrary ways, but the effect 
is hardly better than a simple twist. In the latter 
avoid too many coils ; they should not exceed four 
on hooks numbered not lai-ger than one and a half. 

Two hackles, which, if the colors are well con- 
trasted, produce a fine effect, are usually rolled to- 
gether, but may be wound one after the other if 
care is taken to pick out the fibres. They are tied 
in at one time and handled as though they composed 
but one. 

A trout-fly maybe made in the manner heretofore 
directed for salmon-flies, omitting as much as you 
please, or the wings may be laid together back to 
back or face to face, held in that position in the left 
hand, and applied to the hook after the fibres have 
been pinched with the nails at the proper place. 
Being secured in that way they resemble the wings 
of the ephemeroe closely ; whereas to make one of 
the phryganidm a few fibres of one side may be 
stripped off and tied on alone, lying close clown upon 
the hook. Remember the ephemeridoe have 
whisks, the phryganid(B have none ; the wings of 
the former stand up, of the latter lie down. Coarse 



FLY-MAKING. 211 

fibres of hackle, or golden pheasant breast and back, 
are usually employed for whisks ; and two strands of 
floss carefully waxed with a small edge of the wax, 
will make a tying silk as strong and large as should 
be used for a small fly. If well waxed, the finer the 
silk the firmer it holds ; if not waxed no silk what- 
ever will hold. 

Another way of tying a trout-fly, by which more 
life is supposed to be given to it, is by commencing 
to fasten the gut at the bend and finishing at the 
head, holding the hook reversed ; then change the 
hook to its proper position, and reversing the thread, 
lay on the wings, which are composed of two strips 
of feather folded, so that they shall point up along 
the gut ; secure them firmly and cut off" the butts 
close, divide them with the point of the picker and 
pass the thread through the opening each way several 
times, and if necessary above them both, but not on 
the root of the wings, till they stand up, then push- 
ing them into their original position tie in below 
them by the larger end a hackle and a piece of 
round tinsel, and spinning a little dubbing on the 
silk, wind it toward the bend ; hold the thread with 
the catch, and with the pliers wind the tinsel and 
afterwards the hackle, and fasten both at the bend ; 
and finish off with two half-hitches. The silk com- 
posing the material in which the round tinsel is 
wound may be left for a tail, the coating being 
pulled off; or the tip of the hackle may be so left, 
or proper whisks may be introduced. The wings 
being drawn into their appropriate place will remain 



212 FLY-MAKING. 

there, and offering resistance to tne water are sup- 
posed by some to imitate motion. Those tied in this 
manner are not handsome, but are great favorites 
with certain fishermen for their assumed killiug qua- 
lities, and are considered ruined if the silk covers 
the roots of the wings, as is done by most Irish fly- 
tiers. 

Flies may also be finished at the shoulder under 
the wing ; a course that seems to offer no advan- 
tages and to combine most disadvantages. Or the 
body may be tied, beginning at the shoulder and 
finishing at the bend, as last described, omitting the 
wings and leaving a place for them till the last ; a 
new piece of thread is then applied, and the wings be- 
ing tied in their natural position, the second finish 
is made at the head. 

To pi-epare two single strands of floss as tying 
silk, hold one end between your teeth, twist the silk 
and rub it lightly with a small edge of wax. If the 
weather is cold the wax may require thumbing be- 
fore it can be used or will stick to the silk. There 
will be found considerable difierence in the strength 
of strands of floss according to the color, and in 
very small flies this may be suited to the insect 
intended to be imitated, and the necessity of any 
other body avoided. 

The word buzz, which is taken from the buzzing 
motion of an insect's wings when moved rapidly, is 
applied to the hackle wound more or less along the 
body, and supposed thus without wings to repre- 
sent that motion. The hackle may be carried all 



FLY- MAKING. 213 

the way from the bend or only part of the way, or 
merely tied very full at the head. In this matter, 
as well as concerning palmers, writers differ. A 
palmer is properly a long-bodied fly with two small 
hooks, and hackles wound the entire length, to 
represent a caterpillar and its hairy ornaments. 
The hooks are often made double expressly for this 
purpose. A hackle has but one hook and a shorter 
body. Tlie word midge is another word that leads 
to mistakes ; there are only a few proper midge-flies, 
such as the gnat, ant, etc., but any fly may be 
dressed on a minute hook and called a midge-fly, 
although this is not an accurate use of language. 
Horse-hair is sometimes used as a substitute for gut 
by old-fashioned anglers, but it is weaker, more apt 
to slip, and more perceptible to the fish. 

An excellent plan for preserving feathers conve- 
niently and safely, is to put them in envelopes suited 
in size to their length, and to stow them, together 
with a piece of camphor, in a tin box. If they are 
looked over occasionally, and the camphor renewed 
as it wastes, they will remain untouched by moth ; 
but if they are to be kept for a long time unhandled, 
they should be deposited in a linen bag. The enve- 
lopes should be large, for if the fibres are bent they 
will not make handsome wings, and the different 
classes of feathers may be tied in separate bundles. 

The following wax is recommended in the Appen- 
dix to "Fly-fishing in Salt and Fresh Water:"— 
Melt some resin in a small vessel over a slow fire, 
and whilst it is on the fire and after it has become 



214 FLY-MAKING. 

fluid, take a pure white wax candle, light it and let 
it droi3 into the melted resin ; there is no rule as to 
the quantity. Pour out upon a board either greased 
or rubbed with wax from the candle, one fourth of 
the composition ; then drop more wax into the re- 
mainder and pour out one fourth more. Proceed in 
the same manner with the other two fourths, and 
thus you will have wax of four degrees of hardness ; 
that with the least wax dropped from the candle 
being for use in hot weather, the others for different 
degrees of temperature of the seasons. After the 
composition has become cool on the board, it should 
be well worked on the board as shoemaker's 
wax is. 

To make soft wax to use upon very delicate silk, 
dissolve some common shoemaker's wax in spirits of 
wine until it becomes of the consistency of butter, 
then put a small quantity on the inside of a piece of 
an old kid glove, and draw the silk gently through 
it. Or put a piece of shoemaker's wax the size of 
a walnut in a small bottle, and pour over it an ounce 
of eau-de-cologne ; shake it occasionally till it dis- 
solves, when it is ready for use ; then taking a drop 
between the finger and thumb, draw the silk through 
it. It may be carried in a metal bottle with a 
screw stoi:)per, and if well corked will keep for 
years. 

In Scrope's Days and Nights of Salmon Fishing, 
is found the following description of a few favorite 
salmon flies : — 



FLY-MAKING. 215 

Ko. 1. KiNMONT Willie. 

Wings. — Mottled feather from under the wing of 
a male teal. 

Head. — Yellow wool. 

Body. — Fur of the hare's ear. 

End of Bofy. — Red wool. 

Tail. — Yellow wool. 

Bound the body. — Black cock's hackle. 

Kg. 2. Lady op Mektoun. 

Wiiigs. — ^Mottled feather from under the wing oi 
the male teal. 

Head.- — Crimson wool. 

Body. — ^Water rat's fur. 

End of body. — Crimson wool. 

Tail. — Yellow wool. 

Bound the body. — Black cock's hackle. 

End of body. — ^A little red hackle. 

No. 3. ToppY. 

Wings. — Black feather from a turkey's tail tipped 
with white. 

Head. — Crimson wool. 

Body. — Black bullock's hair. 

End of body. — Crimson wool. 

Tail. — Yellow wool. 

Body. — Black cock's hackle. 

End of body. — Small piece of red cock's hackle. 



216 FLY-MAKING. 

No. 4. Michael Scoit. 
Wings. — Mottled feather from the back of a drake 
(mallard). 

Head. — Yellow wool with a little hare's fur next 
to it. 

Body. — Black wool. 

End of the body. — Fur from the hare's ear ; next 
to the hare's ear, crimson wool. 

Tail. — Yellow wool. 

Round the body. — Black cock's hackle. 

JEnd of the body. — Red cock's hackle. 

Round the body. — Gold twist spirally. 

No. 5. Meg with the Muckle Mouth. 

Wings. — From the tail of a brown turkey. 
Head. — Crimson wool. 
Body. — Yellow silk. 
End of body. — Crimson wool. 
Tail. — Yellow or orange wool. 
Round the body. — Red cock's hackle. 
Round the body. — Gold twist ; over it hackle 
mixed with color, as above. 

No. 6. Meg in her Braws. 

Wings. — ^Light brown from the wing of a bittern. 

Head. — Yellow wool. 

Next the head. — Mottled blue feather from a jay's 
wing. 

Body. — Brown wool mixed with bullock's hair. 

Towards the end of body. — Green wool ; next to 
that crimson wool. 



FLY-MAKING. 217 

Tail. — Yellow wool. 

Round the body. — Gold twist ; over that cock's 
hackle, black at the roots and red at the points. 

" Concerning these flies, I will note one thing, which 
is, that if you rise a fish with the Lady of Mertoun, 
and he does not touch her, give him a rest and come 
over him with the Toppy, and you have him to a 
certainty, and mce-vcrsa. This I hold to be an in- 
valuable secret, and is the only change that, during 
my long practice, I have found eminently successful. 

Another method of dressing ISTo. 3, Toppy ; wing 
feather from rump or tail of turkey, which is black 
below and strongly marked with a white tip, to be 
set on Tweed fashion (that is to say, the wings 
parted and made to lie open like a butterfly's wings). 

"Body black mohair; three turns of broad silver 
tinsel. 

" Blue or black heron's neck-feather at the shoulder ; 
if heron's feather cannot be procured, a good-sized 
black cock's hackle ; orange or yellow wool, for tail." 

The long transparent bodies which are made in 
imitation of the epherneridm^ and are rather more 
admired by the fancy angler than by the fish, are 
composed of small pieces of gut, whalebone, or other 
similar material, which, after being cut to the proper 
length, are fastened on at the shoulder, together with 
a thin flat end of gut, such as comes in the covered 
part of every hank, and which, after being well 
soaked in warm water, has been smoothed down 
with the finger nail. The latter, while still damp 
and pliable, is wound evenly round the material of 
10 



218 FLY-MAKING. 

the body, including the hook, for several turns, and 
then round the body alone, and secured at the ex- 
tremity by passing a couple of tiirns over the end 
and drawing it through. As this is transparent, it 
will show the color of the substance below, and may 
even be wound over floss-silk bodies which do not 
project beyond the hook, and while adding brilliancy, 
will protect them from injury. The whisks may be 
included with the solid material of the body, and 
an upper section may be added ; the hackles are to 
be introduced, and the wrings secured afterwards ; 
but although a very perfect imitation, it is not gene- 
rally so killing as the ordinary artificial fly. 

In giving the preceding directions, it is by no means 
intended to advise that the table vice should be 
discarded ; but, on the contrary, a small or hand- 
some fly can be tied much more easily with its assist- 
ance. A little practice with the fingers alone will, 
however, greatly increase one's expertness, and re- 
move an awkward difficulty in case the vice should 
by any chance be left behind. The great objection 
to tying a fly with the fingers is the risk of mussing 
the feathers, especially in summer, when perspiration 
prevails. 

I am indebted to Mr. J. James Hyde, a gentle- 
man who, although an amateur, is one of the most 
finished anglers and neatest dressers of a well-imi- 
tated trout-fly in the United States, for the follow- 
ing directions for tying all Ronalds?s flies with the 
feathers of our American birds, so that the angler 
who may be unacquainted with the English feathers 



FLY-MAKING. 219 

can make an accurate imitation, and not, as is too 
common in this country, produce some wretched 
abortion for a well-known fly, and may at the same 
time avoid the unnecessary outlay of importing 
expensive foreign materials. 

The following list of flies is taken from Alfred 
Ronalds's " Fly-Fisher's Entomology." This work 
has been selected because its descriptions are imita- 
tions of real flies, and not of traditional or conven- 
tional nondescripts, which, although the delight of 
professional dressers, might be safely worshipped 
without breaking the commandment, since they are 
not the "likeness of any thing in the heaven above, 
nor in the earth beneath, nor in the waters under the 
earth." 

Some alterations have been made for the purpose 
of facilitating the reader in his choice of materials, 
and the feathers indicated are, in most cases, those 
of our own bu-ds, which may be easily procured, and 
are quite as suitable as the foreign ones given by 
Ronalds. Mohair is the best material for the bodies 
of trout-flies, and though others are sometimes 
named as being an easier method, the experienced 
amateur will prefer mohair, with which he will pro- 
duce the same efiect, without any of the objections 
to which all other materials are liable; and by a judi- 
cious mixture, any shade of color may be obtained. 

Ronalds's work being descriptive of English flies 
only, it has been deemed advisable to substitute 
their American prototypes m all cases where they 
are known j and although the trout are not perhaps 



220 FLY-MAKING. 

thorough entomologists, the scientific fisherman will 
always prefer to use a fly which exists in the waters 
he frequents, to an English resemblance, restricted 
perhaps to a confined locality some thousands of 
miles away. As a general rule, there is no doubt 
that the best imitations of the fly the fish are taking 
will be the most successful ; yet there are excep- 
tions, of which the ibis fly is a glaring instance. It 
is also desirable at times to vary the sizes of flies, 
and to make the imitations larger than the living 
flies — when, for instance, the water is rough or thick; 
but these variations are not of absolute importance. 

No. 1. The Blue Duisr. 
This fly is the earliest American ephemera^ and 
may be found on warm days in February. In 
March it is abundant. It lives three or four days, 
and then becomes the red spinner. 

Imitation, 

Body. — Mouse-colored mohair, sj)un very thinly 
on yellow silk. 

Tail. — Two fibres of gray mallard. 

Wings. — From a quill-feather of the robin's wing. 
The third or fourth feather with a tinge of reddish 
brown at the extremity of the fibre. 

Legs. — Two or three turns of a blue or ginger 
dun hackle. One side of the hackle may be stripped 
off" for the ephemeridm. 

No. 2. The Red Spinnek. 
This is the blue dun in its perfect or imago state. 



FLY-MAKING. 221 

It is now of a reddish brown, and its wings are near- 
ly transparent. It lives four or five days, but if 
the weather be hot, will be found more at even- 
ing. 

Imitatio7i. 

Body. — Of bright reddish brown mohair, ribbed 
with silk of same color. 

Tail. — Two whisks of a red cock's hackle, or of 
the red body-feather of the golden pheasant. 

Wings. — From a thin, transparent mottled grey 
feather of the mallard or wood-duck. 

JLegs. — Plain red cock's hackle. The wings of the 
ephemeridoe stand upright on their backs. 

No. 3. The Water Cricket. 

This insect lives upon small flies, etc., whose blood 
it sucks in a manner similar to that of the land 
spider. It runs upon the water and darts upon its 
prey while struggling on the surface. In the sum- 
mer months it is provided with wings. 

Body. — Orange mohair, spun on black silk, and 
ribbed with black silk. 

Legs and Wings. — A black cock's hackle. This 
fly is always made buzz. The wings are very trans- 
parent. 

No. 4. Great Dark Droi^e. 

This fly is found upon the grass in a torpid state, 
until the sun warms the air, when it takes wing ; 
and afterwards, if there be a breeze, it is found upon 



222 FLY-MAKING. 

the water. They are of great variety of color, hut 
the hlack is the most common. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Black mohair spun thickly on black silk 
Wings. — The dun feather of a mallard wing. The 

wings lie flat upon its back, and the upper fibres of 

the hackle should be cut off. 

Legs. — ^A dark grizzled hackle. This is a late fly. 

No. 5. Cow-Dung Fly. 

This fly is to be found throughout the year. It 
is most abundant in March, and during a high wind 
it is blown upon the water. The color of the male 
is a tawny yellow ; that of! the female a greenish 
brown. 

Male. — Imitation, 

Body. — Yellow and light-brown mohair mixed, 
spun on light brown silk. 

Wings. — ^The wing feather of the brown thrush, 
or of the rail (corncrake). 

Legs. — A ginger-colored hackle. 

Female. — Olive-colored mohair body; wings and 
legs the same. The wings lie flat, and the upper 
hackles should be cut off. 

ISTo. 6. Peacock Fly. 

This is a small beetle, very abundant on warm 
summer days. It often falls upon the water in its 
flight, or is blown upon it by the wind. It is highly 



FLY-MAKIXa. 223 

praised by English writers, and is described by 
Arundo, in *' Practical Fly-Fishing,'* as " the little 
chap." 

Imitation. 

Body, — Copper-colored peacock's herl. 
Wings. — The darkest part of a robin's wing- 
feather. 

Zegs. — A dark purple-dyed hackle. 

No. V. March Beown. 

This ephemera is the next in season after the blue 
dun. It is a handsome and attractive fly, and is 
eagerly devoured by the trout. The male is of a 
chocolate color, and the female a greenish brown. 
It lives three or four days, and then changes into the 
great red spinner. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Sandy-brown mohair, ribbed over with 
olive silk. 

Tail. — Two fibres of a brown hen's feather. 

Wings. — From the mottled wing-feather of a 
brown hen, which may be found of the exact shade. 

Begs. — A brown hen's hackle, or the small brown 
body-feather of the widgeon. 

No. 8. Great Red Spinner. 

This is the metamorphosis of the March brown, 
and may be used on warm evenings through the 
season. It is a very excellent fly. 



224 FLY-FISHING. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Orange and brown mohair mixed, ribbed 
with fine gold twist. 

Tail. — ^Two fibres of a bright amber red hackle, or 
the body-feather of the golden pheasant, which is a 
strong, durable feather for this purpose, and may be 
found from a bright yellow to deep red. 

Wings. — Light-colored feather from the robin's 
wing. 

Legs. — A bright amber red hackle. 

No. 9. Sand Fly. 

This fly comes from a water larva^ and is one of 
the best flies which can be used during April and 
May. Its wings are long and full, and lie flat upon 
its back. 

Ir)iitation. 

JBody. — Sandy-colored mohair, spun on sUk of the 
same color. 

Wings. — From the wing-feather of the brown 
thrush, or the mottled brown feather of a young hen. 

Legs. — A light ginger hackle. Cut oflT the upper 
fibres of the hackle, that the wings may lie flat. 

No. 10. The Stone Flt. 

This fly also comes from a water larva. It is 
heavy in its flight, but runs with great rapidity, and 
is generally found in streams, amongst the stones or 
close to the sides of the water. Its body is nearly 
half an inch in lenscth. 



FLY-nsHiNa 225 

Imitation. 

Body. — Brown and yellow mohair mixed, and 
ribbed with yellow silk. 

Tail. — Two strands of brown hen's wing. 

Wings. — From the mottled feather of a brown hen 
made full, and to lie flat. 

Legs. — ^A grizzled hackle. 

N'o. 11. The Geavel Bed, or Spider Fly. 

This fly is found only in running waters, but 
where it is found it is very numerous. It may be 
used all day, and is a very delicate fly. It will raise 
fish in clear water when no other fly will. 

Imitation, 

JBody. — ^Lead-coiored silk thread, with which the 
fly is tied. Fine and thin. 

Wings. — From an under covert feather of the 
wood-cock's wing. To lie flat. 

legs. — Two turns only of a black hackle. 

No. 12. The Graknom, or Green Tail. 

This fly comes from a water larva., and is found 
chiefly at morning and at evening. The green tint 
of its body is derived from the color of the bag of 
eggs near the tail. There are a number of species 
in the United States, and in some the bag of eggs is 
yellow, and in some orange. The green is the most 
used. 

10* 



226 FLY-FISHING. 

Imitation, 

Body. — "Work in a little tuft of green at the tail, 
and then finish the body of sandy-colored mohair. 

Wings. — A light brown mottled hen's feather, to 
lie flat. 

Legs. — A pale ginger hackle. 

The body of the male is yellow, without the green 
tag. 

No. 13. The Yellow Dun. 

This beautiful ephemera is one of our very best 
flies. There are several varieties, and some of them 
are an inch in length. It changes to a spinner, very 
similar to the metamorphosis of the blue dun (No. 2), 
only lighter and yellower, and should be so tied. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Yellow mohair spun very thinly on pale 
blue silk. 

Wings. — From the lightest part of the feather of 
a robin's wing. 

legs. — A pale yellow dun hackle. 

This fly must not be finished off at the head with 
the blue silk, but a yellow must be tied in for the 
purpose when the body is done. 

No. 14. The Iron Blue Dun. 

This is one of the smallest of the ephemeridcBy 
but not the least useful. It lives only two or three 
days before changing its coat, when its body becomes 
almost white, and its wings transparent. 



FLY-FISHING. 227 

Imitati07i. 

Bochj.—P3i\Q blue mohair, very thinly spun on 
reddish-brown silk, with which the head must be 
finished. 

Tail — Two whisks of the yellow body-feather of 
the golden pheasant. 

Wings.—Fvom the wing-feather of the blue-bird. 

Legs.— A very small yellow dun hackle. 

No. 15. The Jenny Spinnee. 

This is the name of the iron blue dun (ISTo. 14) in 
his new dress, in which he lives four or five days. 
It is a killing fly towards evening in clear water in 
summer. There are in the United States at least 
some hundred varieties of these small ephemeridm^ 
of every conceivable color, and the skilful dresser 
will take pleasure in tying them, using the feathers 
of the small domestic and foreign birds which he can 
procure. Such are the sky-blue, the orange dun, the 
pale evening dun, the July dun (blue and yellow), 
the whirling blue dun, and the little pale dun. 

Imitation. 

Body. — ^White floss silk, tied at head and tail 
with brown silk thread. 

Tail. — Two whisks light dun hackle. 

Wings. — From a blue-bird's wing-feather 

Legs. — A very small and very light dun hackle, 
nearly white. 



228 FLY-FISHING. 

No. 16. The Little Yellow Mat Dun. 

This is another of the ephemeridce^ and a most 
useful one to the fisherman. It is not so small as the 
preceding one (No. 14), and changes to a very light 
red spinner. 

l7nitation. 

Body. — ^Pale ginger-colored mohair, ribbed with 
yellow silk. 

Tail. — Two whisks of yellow, or ginger hackle. 

Wings. — Mottled feather of the mallard, dyed a 
greenish yellow. 

Legs. — Light ginger hackle, dyed the same color 
as the wings. 

No. 17. The Black Gnat. 

Every fisherman is familiar with this little insect, 
and has taken trout with their mouths and throats 
filled with them. It is, however, not properly a gnat, 
but a midge. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Black ostrich herl. 
Wings. — ^The darkest feather of a robin's wing. 
Begs. — A black hackle. 

The black midge should be made similarly, but 
with a thin black silk body. 

No. 18. The Oak Fly, also the Down Head 
Fly, and Down Hlll Fly. 
This is a land fly, and may be found upon the 



FLY-FISHING. 229 

trunks of trees or on posts near the water. It is car- 
ried on the water by the wind, and is consequently 
used with most success on windy days, like the cow- 
dung. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Orange floss silk or mohair, ribbed with 
black silk. 

Wi7igs. — The darkest part of the wing-feather of 
a curlew. 

Legs. — ^A furnace, or red and black hackle. 

No. 19. The Tuekey Brown. 

This ephemera is common to most of the waters 
of New York, and is found on nearly all the Long 
Island ponds, where it is eagerly taken by the trout. 
It appears about the middle of April, and changes 
to a little dark spinner, which is a most killing fly 
just before dusk. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Brown mohair ribbed with purple silk. 
The female is of a greenish brown. 

Tail. — Two fibres of the same feather as the wings. 
Wings. — Of the brown mottled feather from the 
back- of a ruffed grouse. 

Legs. — A red-brown hackle. 

No. 20. The Little Daek Spinnek. 

This is the perfect, or Imago., state of the turkey 
brown (No. 19) just described. It is as fragile as it 



230 FLY-FISHING. * 

is beautiful, and can hardly be touched without 
maiming or killing it. 

Imitatioji. 

Body. — Light reddish-brown floss silk, ribbed 
with purple. 

Tail. — Three whisks of a light dun hackle. 

Wings. — From a feather of the robin's wing, or 
the under feather of a young grouse's wing. 

IJegs. — ^A light dun hackle. 

No. 21. The Yellow Sally. 

This is a water fly, which continues in season for 
four or five weeks from the middle of May. Its 
wings are transparent, and lie close and flat. It is 
sometimes called " the flat yellow." 

Imitation, 

JBody. — Yellow mohair, ribbed with pale green silk 
thread. 

Wings. — White pigeon wing, stained a pale 
greenish yellow. 

Xegs. — ^A white hackle, dyed the same color as 
the wings. 

No. 22. The Fekn Fly. 

The two most common varieties of this fly are 
known as the "Soldier" and the "Sailor." The 
wing coverings of one are red, and of the other blue. 
They are both well taken by the trout until the end 
of July, on hot days. 



FLY-FISHING. 231 

Imitation. 

Body. — Orange floss silk. 

Wings. — The darkest part of a robin's wing- 
feather. 

Legs. — ^A red cock's hackle. 

Two or three fibres of some blue feather may be 
tied in with each wing, on the outside, or of red, to 
represent the wing-covers. 

No. 23. The Alder Fly. 

This fly comes from a water nympha. It lays its 
eggs upon the leaves of trees which overhang the 
water, whence they drop into it. It is in season dur- 
ing May and June. 

Imitation, 

Body. — Peacock's herl tied with black silk. 
Wings. — From a feather of a brown hen, made 
large and full. 

legs. — A black cock's hackle. 

No. 24. The Geeen" Dkake. 

This is the most famous of all the English ephe- 
meridce. It is a large and beautiful fly, but is not 
found, so far as known, except in running waters. 
For ordinary streams and ponds here the "little 
yellow May dun" (No. 16) will be found preferable. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Straw-colored floss silk, ribbed with 
brown ; the head of peacock's herl. 



232 FLY-FISHING. 

Tail. — Three hairs from a fitch's tail. 

Wings. — From a mottled feather of the mallard, 
stained a greenish yellow. 

The female of this fly changes to the grey drake, 
and the male to the black drake. They are little 
used. 

N'o. 25. The Hazel Fly. 

This is a beetle, the pupa of which inhabits the 
earth. It is found upon poplar-trees, and a species 
very similar is found upon fern. It is blown upon 
the water, and is to be used on windy days. 

Imitation. 

Body. — A black ostrich herl and a peacock's herl, 
twisted together on red silk. 

Wings and Legs. — Made buzz with a dark fur- 
nace hackle. 

As this fly never alights upon the water, it is gene- 
rally seen struggling with its Avings in motion. 

No. 26. The Dark Mackerel. 

This is the imago., or perfect state of another kind 
of green drake, darker than No. 24. It is found in 
some waters where the true green drake is not, and 
is used in its stead. 

Imitation. 

Body. — ^Dark mulberry floss silk, ribbed with fine 
gold twist. 

Tail. — Three hairs from a fitch's tail. 



FLY-FISHING. 233 

Wings. — From the brown mottled feather of the 
mallard, which hangs from the back over a part of 
the wing. 

JOegs. — A dark purple hackle. 

No. 27. The Gold-Eyed Gauze Wing. 

This beautiful insect is not found upon all waters, 
but where it is, affords great sport on windy days. 
It may be used from June till the end of September. 

Imitatio7i. 

Body. — Pale yellowish green floss silk, tied with 
silk of the same color. 

Legs. — Pale blue dun hackle, with one or two 
turns in front of the wings. 

Wings. — A pale transparent mallard, or wood- 
duck feather, stained slightly green. Very full, long, 
and to lie flat. 

No. 28. The Weex Tail. 

This is a species of Ao^:)per, sometimes called '^ ant 
hop29ers.^^ They hop and fly for about twenty yards, 
and sometimes drop short and fall upon the water. 
The light and dark brown, and the greenish blue, 
are the most common. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Ginger-colored mohair ribbed with fine 
gold twist, short. 

Wings and Begs. — Feather from a wren's tail, 
wound on hackle-wise. 



23 i FLY-FISHING. 

A brown mottled hackle may be used in place 
of the wren's tail feather. 

No. 29. The Ked Ant. 

There are many species of these winged ants, and 
they are familiar to every one. The red and black 
are those generally used. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Copper-colored peacock's herl, wound 
thickly, for two or three turns, at the tail to form a 
tuft ; the rest of the body dark red silk. 

Wings. — From the lightest part of a robin's wing. 
To lie flat. 

Legs. — A small red hackle. 

The black ant is made of black ostrich herl 
body; wings from the darkest part of a robin's 
wing ; legs, a small black hackle. 

No. 30. The Silver Horns. 

This fly is an excellent one until the end of 
August, principally in showery weather. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Black ostrich herl tied with black silk, 
and trimmed down. 

Wings. — A wing-feather of the black-bird. 

Legs. — Small black cock's hackle. 

Horiis. — Two strands of the grey feather of the 
mallard. 

The male has black horns. To make it buzz, 



FLY-FISHING. 235 

the body is to be ribbed with silver twist upon the 
black ostrich herl, and a black hackle wrapped the 
whole length of the body. 

No. 31. The August Dun. 

This fly comes from a water nympha^ lives two 
or three days, and changes to a red spinner. This 
fly is for August what the March brown is for 
March. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Brown floss silk, ribbed with yellow silk 
thread. 

Tail. — Two hairs from a fitch's tail. 

Wings. — Feather of a brown hen's wing. 

Legs. — Plain brown hackle. 

Made buzz with a grouse feather, in place of 
Avings and legs 

1^0. 32. The Orange Fly. 

This is an Ichneumon Fly. It is furnished with an 
ovipositor., for the purpose of piercing the skins of 
caterpillars, in which it deposits its eggs, the grub 
from which grows in, and ultimately kills, the insect 
in which it was hatched. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Orange floss silk tied on with black. 
Thick and square at the tail. 

Wiiigs. — ^Darkest part of a robin's wing. 
Legs. — A very dark furnace hackle. 



236 FLY-FISHING. 

No. 33. The Cinnamon Fly. 

This fly comes from a wsLier pujm. It should be 
used after a shower, and on a windy day. It is a 
very kiUing fly on some waters, and somewhat re- 
sembles the land fly, but does not appear so early. 

Imitation, 

Body. — Fawn-colored mohair, tied on silk of the 
same color. 

Wings. — Feather of a yellow-brown hen's wing, 
rather darker than the thrush feather. To lie flat. 

liegs. — A ginger hackle. 

The pinnated grouse's small wing-feather, dyed a 
pale cinnamon with madder and copperas, is an ex- 
cellent feather for the wings of this fly, and of No. 
34. 

No. 34. The Cinnamon Dun. 

This ephemera is found in abundance on the 
streams in Pike Co., Pa., and in some other locali- 
ties. It is similar to the little yellow May dun, but 
is of a bright cinnamon color, and comes on in July 
and August. Its metamorphosis is of a light red 
brown, with wings almost white. 

Imitation. 

Body. — ^Red and yellow mohair spun on yellow 
silk, and ribbed with the same. 

Wings. — The light feather of a grouse's wing, 
dyed cinnamon with madder, or the feather of a 
curlew's wing. 



FLY-FISHING. 237 

Tail. — Two fibres of the same feather as the 
wmgs. 

Legs. — A ghiger hackle. 

No. 35. The Blue Bottle. 

This and the house fly become blind and weak in 
September, are frequently blown upon the water, 
and afford good sport. They may be used especially 
after a frosty night, but are not unsuccessful earlier 
in the season. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Bright blue mohair, tied with light brown 
gilk. The body thick. 

Wings. — The lightest feather of a robin's wing. 

Legs. — Two turns of a black hackle. 

The Souse Fly may be made thus : 

Body. — Light brown and green mohair mixed. 
Wifigs. — Light-colored feather from a robin's 
wing. 

Legs. — A blue dun hackle. 

Head. — Green peacock's herl, with two or three 
turns under the wing:s. 



'O' 



No. 36. The Red Palmer. 

This is the caterpillar of the garden tiger-moth. 
This palmer is found early in the spring, and is 
chiefly recommended for streams where trees over- 
hang the water. Cuvier states that this caterpillar 
changes its skin ten times during its growth. 



238 FLY-FISHING. 

Imitation. 

Body. — Peacock's herl, with a red cock's hackle 
wrapped the whole length, and tied with red silk. 

Ronalds's palmers are made long, and have a 
second hook tied in about half way up the body. It 
is a killing fly in streams, and of little use in ponds 
in the United States. 

No. 37. The Beown Palmer. 

The preceding remarks on the red palmer apply 
equally to this and the succeeding description. The 
white and yellow are equally successful on wooded 
streams, and they all may be used through the 
season. 

Imitatioiu 

Body. — Light brown mohair spun on brown silk, 
and a brown cock's hackle wrapped all the way up. 

No. 38. The Black and Red Palmee. 
Imitatio7i. 

Body. — Black ostrich herl, ribbed with gold 
twist, and a red cock's hackle wrapped over it. 

The feather at the shoulder should be a large fur- 
nace hackle, and the herl should be thickest there. 
Show the gold twist clearly at the tail. 



FLY-nSHIKG. 239 



THE ART OF DYEING FEATHERS, HACKLES, PIG'S 
WOOL, AND MOHAIR, SUITABLE COLORS FOR FLIES. 

It is a great advantage to the fly -fisherman to joos- 
sess the knowledge of dyeing his materials, as it is 
by no means easy to procm*e them at all times of 
the desired color. It is, besides, an amusement and 
an inducement to study the colors, sizes, and habits 
of the insects which he wishes to imitate. The 
colors for salmon-flies should be as rich and brilliant 
as possible ; those for trout are of soberer hues. 
Hackles should be selected with much care, of fine 
fibre, of even taper. White hackles are requisite 
for yellow, orange, blue, and green ; red hackles for 
claret, red, brown, and olive. They should be 
washed in soap and water before dyeing, and tied 
in small bunches for convenience of handling. 

It is important in dyeing all kinds of feathers to 
dress them thoroughly. They should be rinsed in 
clean water when taken from the dye, wiped as dry 
as possible, and dressed with the hand in the direc- 
tion of the fibres until dry. This gives them a 
smoothness and gloss which can be given in no 
other way. 

Naturally-colored feathers are perhaps preferable, 
as a general thing, for trout-flies; but there are 
some which cannot be had of the proper color, and 
for salmon-flies the dyer's art is indispensable. 



240 FLY-FISHING. 

To Dye Yellow. 

Put two table-spoonfuls of ground alum, and one 
tea-spoonful of cream of tartar into a pint of water. 
When perfectly dissolved and boiling, put in the 
feathers, hackles, or hair, and simmer for half an 
hour. Take them from this mordant bath, and put 
them in the yellow dye, made by infusing a table- 
spoonful of ground turmeric in a pint of water, and 
immersed until the color is extracted. 

Boil until the color is deep enough, and then wash 
them in clean water. Dry, and dress them as 
directed. 

There are several materials for yellow dyes, such 
as fustic, quercitron bark, yellow wood, Persian ber- 
ries, and weld ; but turmeric is the best for the pur- 
pose. 

To Dye Orange. 

To produce orange the feathers or other material 
should be first dyed yellow, according to the pre- 
vious recipe. They should then be boiled in a dye 
made with madder and a small quantity of cochineal, 
until the requisite shade is obtained. 

To Dye Scarlet. 

Make a strong infusion of cochineal, put in a few 
drops of muriate of tin, which will make a crimson, 
and then put in a little cream of tartar, which will 
make a clear scarlet. The proportions in weight 
are one part of muriate of tin to two parts of cream 
of tartar. It is best to boil the feathers first in the 



FLY-FISHING. 241 

solution of alum. Simmer them until the color is 
obtained. 

To Dye Crimso]^-. 

Boil the materials to be dyed in a solution of alum 
and cream of tartar, for half an hour; bruise two 
table-spoonfuls of cochineal, and simmer them in 
water until the color is extracted. 

Take the, materials from the alum water, and boil 
them in the cochineal liquor until you have the color 
you wish. 

"Wash them in clean water, and if feathers, dress 
them until dry. 

To Dye Beown. 

Brown may be procured by boiling walnut shells 
to a strong solution, and of a more chestnut hue by 
boiling in a bath composed of a small handful each 
of sumach and alder bark, boiled in half a pint of 
water, with half a drachm of copperas. 

To Dye Blue. 

Boil your material in the solution of alum and 
tartar already described. 

Then make a blue dye by dissolving the prepared 
indigo paste in water, the quantity of which must 
depend upon the color you wish to produce. Boil 
until you have the shade you desire. 

The prepared indigo paste is made by dissol^g 
indigo in oil of vitriol and water in a well stoppered 
11 



242 FLY-FISHING. 

bottle, but it is some trouble to pre^Dare, and may 
be had already made at a dyer's. 

It requires a white ground to produce a good 
blue. 

To Dye Purple or Yiolet. 

First dye your materials blue and let them dry, 
according to the recipe already given. Then bruise 
a couple of table-spoonfuls of cochineal, which boil 
until the color is extracted; then put in the blue 
hackles, or other feathers, and simmer them over 
the fire until the purple is obtained. 

Wash and dress as before directed. 

To Dye Claret. 

Bruise a handful of nutgalls and boil them half an 
hour, with a table-spoonful of oil of vitriol in half 
a cup of water. Put in your material and boil for 
two hours ; add a piece of copperas the size of a 
walnut, and a little pearl ashes. Boil until a fine 
bright claret is produced. 

Wash and dress as before. • 

To Dye Black. 

Boil two handfuls of logwood with a little 
sumach and elder bark for an hour; put in the 
hackles or feathers, and boil very gently. Put in a 
little bruised copperas, a little argil, and some soda ; 
leave the feathers in for some hours with a gentle 
heat, then wash the dye well out of them, dry and 



FLY-FISHING. 243 

dress them. The argil and soda must be used s^Dar- 
ingly. 

To Dye Lavender, oe Blue Dun. 

Boil ground logwood with bruised nutgalls and 
a little copperas. The shade of color may be varied 
by using more or less of the materials. 

You may have grey, and duns of various shades, 
by boiling with the logwood a little alum and cop- 
peras. 

To Dye Geeen. 

Dye your material a light shade of blue first, 
according to the directions for that color ; then put 
them into the yellow dye, and examine them fre- 
quently while boiling to see that you get the proper 
shade. You may get any shade of green by dyeing 
the blues darker or lighter, and then boiling them a 
shorter or longer time in the yellow dye. 

The blue and yellow dyes may also be mixed to 
produce any shade of green, but this requires judg- 
ment and considerable experience, and the result is 
not superior. It must be remembered that the blue 
becomes developed by time, and the color should be 
at first more yellow than is required. 

To Dye a Mallaed's Feather eoe the Green- 
Drake, AND Little Yellow May Dun. 

Boil the feathers in the mordant bath of alum 
already described. 
Then boil them in an infusion of fustic to produce 



244 FLY-FISHINa. 

a yellow, and subdue the brightness of this yellow 
by adding copperas to the mfusion. 

It is better to add a little of the indigo paste to 
this dye. It gives a brighter, clearer tone of color. 

To Dye Gut. 

An Azure, or JVeutral Tint. 

I drachm logwood, 
6 gi'ains copperas. 

Immerse the gut 2|- to 3 minutes. 

An Azure Tint, more FinJc, 

1 drachm logwood, 
1 scruple alum. 
Immerse the gut 3 minutes. 

A dingy Olive. 

1 drachm logwood, 
1 scruple alum, 
3 scruples quercitron bark. 
Lnmerse from 2 to 3 minutes. 

A light Brown. 

1 drachm madder, 
1 scruple alum. 

Immerse from 5 to 6 minutes. 

A light Yellow, or Amber. 

l^ scruples quercitron bark, 
1 scruple alum, 



FLY-FISHING. 



245 



6 grains madder, 
4 drops muriate of tin, 
1 scruple cream of tartar. 
Immerse 2^ minutes. 

An Olive Dun. 

Make a strong infusion of the outside brown 
leaves or coating of onions, by allowing the ingre- 
dients to stand warm by the fire for ten or twelve 
hours. 

When quite cold put the gut into it, and let it re- 
main until the hue becomes as dark as may be 
required. 

All the above dyes for gut are to be used cold. 




THE POTOMAC, 



246 FLY-FISHINa. 



AETIFICIAL BAIT AND rLT-FISHING. 

In fly-fishing, a rod, and a good rod, is one of the 
prime requisites, npon the excellence of which de- 
pends, in a great measure, the successful exercise of 
the angler's skill. An excellent rod may be made of 
different materials and in different manners, a choice 
among which will depend upon fancied, more than 
real superiority ; but each writer has his ftivorites, 
and, if able, is entitled to give the reasons for his 
preference. 

Fly-fishing is mainly confined to salmon and trout- 
fishing ; for these, essentially different implements are 
required ; for the long casts and heavy play of the 
former, amid the rapids and cascades of the foaming 
river, a stout, stiff, two-handed rod is requisite ; 
while for the feebler efforts and shorter casts of the 
latter, amid the ripples of the murmuring brook, or 
upon the placid surface of the quiet pond, a light, 
single-handed rod is preferable. 

The salmon-rod should be as long and strong as 
the muscles of the angler will enable him to wield 
trenchantly all day through, and should have that 
quick, powerful pliancy that will send the fly with or 
across the wind a prodigious distance. It is ordi- 
narily made ot ash or hickory for the joints, and 
bamboo, on account of its lightness, for the tip. 



FLY-FISHING. 247 

Greenlieart has lately become the favorite wood, 
being now almost imiversally employed in England, 
and offers, certainly, some desirable advantages ; but 
I have not had sufficient experience with it to speak 
decisively of its merits. A salmon-rod should be 
twenty feet long ; after giving the matter . due 
deliberation, and trying to reduce every ounce of 
weight, I have resolved that I cannot take off an 
inch from twenty feet. To meet the objection that 
a weak, small man must, under these circumstances, 
either give up the fishing or the rod, I would suggest 
that he inure himself to the labor by practising, 
for his first few days upon the river, with a sixteen- 
foot rod till his muscles are strengthened, and then 
substituting one of full length and weight. 

A sixteen-foot rod may be handled beautifully, 
will cast the fly lightly, will kill a fish delicately, but 
it will not enable the possessor to force his line 
against or across a gust of wind eddying down the 
bank of the stream, nor to command all the casts 
of a broad river with facility, neither can he strike 
with certainty, nor kill his fish with rapidity. Sal- 
mon rivers are usually wide, sometimes wild, broken, 
and impassable even for that wonderful compound 
of life and lightness, the birch canoe, and cannot be 
reached in every part except with a long line under 
perfect control ; frequently, the very spot where the 
fish habit, the swirl of the current or the pitch of 
the cascade is beyond the limits of him of the fif- 
teen-foot rod • and if by the utmost effort the line 
is cast far enough, the first eddy will slack it up 



248 FLY-FISHING. 

and deprive the weak, pliant rod of all control 
over it. 

Again, v/here the favorite pool lies close by the 
overhanging rock, upon some accommodating ledge 
of which the angler crawls prone to the earth, 
hiding from the sharp eye of the watchful fish, he 
can with a long rod jerk out the line, and twitching 
it over the surface, beguile the prey ; while with a 
shorter one he might be deprived of concealment, 
and stand confessed a laughing-stock to the fish, 
dangling a useless line close to the rocky bank. If 
the water, the wind, or the fish are strong, the rod 
should be the same ; although advocating gentle 
treatment, there are times when, I assure the reader, 
that vigor must be exerted, and then twenty feet are 
better than fifteen. 

No practical working rod can be made by the re- 
moval of one or more joints and the substitution of 
others, to increase or diminish in length. There 
must be a uniform taper consonant with the length, 
which, in case of alteration, will be destroyed, and the 
rod rendered harsh or feeble. The strain will not 
come equally upon all its parts ; it will bend irregu- 
larly, and under a sudden strain is almost sure to 
give way. I had a rod in which a single joint could 
be substituted for the butt and next joint, which 
broke on an average of once a day so long as it was 
used in that way, and until the two joints Avere re- 
stored. 

The elasticity of a good salmon-rod is like that 
of steel, and by the aid of such an implement alone 



FLY-FISHING. 249 

can the fly be propelled to a proper distance. The 
force must be transmitted to the tip end of the 
leader, and the angler must feel in casting that his 
rod is up to its share of the work. It must neither 
drag, for in that case the line follows the impulse 
feebly ; nor be too stiif, for then no life can be im- 
parted to the line. If the rod is weak, it cannot 
cast with power ; if it is harsh, it cannot cast at all. 
It must bend, but must leap back to its place, driving 
the fly far ahead of it by the strong and steady 
impulse. 

A deficiency in vigor is felt at once by the angler, 
as a want of proper resistance to his exertion, and 
will be particularly noticeable of a bad day, or m 
an unfavorable locality, when the rod will seem to 
double back and fail utterly in a weak disgusting 
way ; while too great stifi*ness will go to convince 
the angler that he is using a bean-pole. 

The single-handed trout-rod is a very different 
affair, much more difficult both to make and handle ; 
coarser tools and tackle will answer for the coarser 
fish, but nothing less than the best material and 
workmanship will enable the trout-fisher to perform 
creditably and successfully. It must be light for fine 
fishing, not over ten ounces in weight ; it must be 
the perfection of elasticity ; it must have a certain 
strength ; it must balance perfectly in the hand ; in 
other words, it mast be perfection, to attain which, 
requires the utmost care and the greatest skill. It 
is a strange fact that decidedly better fly-rods, and 
perhaps better salmon-rods, can be obtained in Ame- 
11* 



250 FLY-FISHING. 

rica than in England, in spite of the greater foreign 
experience ; a result that is due mainly to our per- 
sistent effort after delicacy, and perhaps partly to the 
habits and size of our fish ; but an English fly-rod is 
now regarded as a clumsy monstrosity. 

Trout-rods are usually made of ash with a bamboo 
or Calcutta cane-tip ; the latter is infinitely prefer- 
able to lance-wood, on account of its greater strength 
and lightness. The bamboo is split into narrow 
pieces the length of one joint of the cane, and being 
glued together, is trimmed to the proper shape. 
Three pieces should be used, each planed, by an in- 
strument made for the purpose, into an obtuse angle, 
and fitting neatly together ; if two pieces only are 
united, the tip will bend to different degrees in dif- 
ferent directions. 

Bamboo may also be used for the second joint, 
and makes a light and vigorous rod, with ash for 
the butt ; horn-beam or iron-wood, and greenheart, 
have also been introduced for trout-rods, but have 
not come into general accej^tance ; lance-wood is 
strong but too heavy, while my decided flxvorite is 
red cedar. Rods, after they have been exposed to 
w^et, and have endured the strain of a strong fish, or 
even the effort of repeated casting, will warp ; they 
will, if they are extremely ligbt, prove deficient in 
power ; they are apt to be either heavy or feeble ; 
they will, when the current or wind is strong, give 
to it and lose their quickness in striking ; in fact, 
they have many defects common to one or the other 
of the above woods, unless they are made of cedar ; 



FLY-FISHING. r 251 

in this case they have but one fault, they are brittle. 
A cedar rod never warps ; it S23rings to the hand as 
quick as thought to the brain ; it is never slow or 
heavy ; it cannot b^e kept down by the wind or the 
current ; it is neyer aught but quick, lively, and 
vigorous ; it will cast three feet farther than any other 
rod of the same weight, and strike a fish with twice 
the certainty. The wood is extremely light, but the 
grain is short ; it never loses its life, but will snap 
under a sudden strain. 

I once struck a salmon with an eight-ounce cedar 
trout-rod ; it was at the basin below the Falls of the 
Nipisiquit, where the current of the river, rushing 
against the calm water of the deep pool, creates a 
gentle ripple. The hour was near midday, and I 
was catching sea-trout in that profusion with which 
they abound in the northern waters, when out of 
the ripple, a few yards beyond my reach, rose a 
mighty monarch of the flood, and turning over as 
he sank, caused a heavy surge in the tide. 

My Canadian guide, an enthusiastic Frenchman, 
was with me, and our nerves tingled and our cheeks 
flushed at the sight ; approaching the canoe, a long 
cast brought him out again, but only to miss the 
tiny trout-fly. Convinced that he would rise, I 
hastily substituted a small salmon-fly for the stretcher, 
leaving on the leader the two small droppers I had 
been using, and again carefully cast over him. Out 
he came, the water breaking round him and rolling 
away in miniature circling waves, and the foam fly- 
ing from the powerful blow of his tail as he turned 



252 FLY-FISHING. 

dowu. I struck, but it was as though I had struck 
a rock ; he darted to the bottom, making the rod fly 
in splinters ; at every surge fresh splinters broke off 
and fell about in showers ; a piece of the lower joint 
only was left, when feeling for the first time really 
roused, he made one fierce rush and mad leap, and 
the line not unreeling fast enough to suit him, he 
disappeared with three flies, all my leader, and most 
of my hne. I do not advise any one to fish for sal- 
mon with an eight-ounce cedar trout-rod. 

In ordinary trout-fishing, however, salmon do not 
abound nor come unceremoniously devouring our 
baits intended for their smaller brethren; nor are 
even trout so extremely numerous but that, for a 
long summer day's work, a light able rod will be in- 
finitely preferable to a heavy one. A rod that 
weighs fourteen ounces is heavy, and I have seen 
persons with tlieir hands or wrists dreadfully swol- 
len after a single day's fishiniif, and have had such 
persons assure me that their rods were as light as 
they could be possibly made. Deliciicy to me is the 
first essential in trout-fisliing, whether delicacy of 
rod and tackle, or delicacy of handhng and casting. 
Catching a trout with a stick and a string is not 
half the fun of catching a flounder, the latter being 
much more diflicult to lug out of water ; and deli- 
cacy in trout-fishing will bring the best reward. 

With a cedar rod you need use the wrist alone, 
and that without mucli exertion ; you can cover 
great distances and still control the line, and you can 
switch the fly under bushes and in diflScult places, 



FLY-FISHING. 253 

better than with any other rod I ever used. It is 
quick, reliable, vigorous, and light, the slightest 
motion gives the tip the requisite spring, and it 
answers every effort of the hand instantly. It kills 
a fish powerfully and rapidly, and exposure to wet 
neither deadens nor weakens it. The ordinary hick- 
oiy and ash-joint are much stronger, but are logy 
in their action arid far heavier; joints of split cane 
or malacca are light, beautiful, and expensive, but 
are almost unattainable, and are, occasionally at least, 
deficient in power ; and whalebone, for any part of 
the rod, is dull, heavy, inappropriate, and when* 
water-soaked, utterly worthless. For these reasons 
and many others — these are enough, however — I pre- 
fer a cedar rod. 

Many persons give the preference to a limber rod, 
one that bends in the middle, and they can, after 
infinite practice, cast well with it; in pleasant 
weather they can throw a light line, but when the 
storm lowers and the wind blows, or the current 
rages, or the cast is very long, or the bushes over- 
hang, then good-bye to the gentleman with that 
most wretched of implements, a weak-backed lim- 
ber rod. Give me no such inefiicient deception to 
break my wrist, my heart, and my patience ; as w^ell 
tell me that whalebone has the vigor of a steel 
spring. 

The joints of a rod are united in various ways ; 
with the salmon-rod it is almost essential, and with 
all rods desirable, to use splices, but the custom is to 
indulge the laziness of ferrules. American ferrules 



264: FLY-FISHING. 

fit accurately, and of course after the wood is swollen 
by exposure to rain, they will not come apart even 
if the joint-ends are all brass, a difficulty that can 
be obviated by rubbing them with mutton tallow^, 
and loosening them every night, and we advise the 
same precaution in wet weather with the reel bands. 
In this connection it may be well to tell the reader 
how he can, with a little trouble, separate the fer- 
rules, no matter how solid they may seem to be ; in 
the first place heat them moderately, and pour a lit- 
tle oil round the joint; then take two stout pieces 
of string, or better, braid, about a foot long, and 
tying the ends of each together, wrap one close 
above and the other below the joint in the contrary 
directions ; then insert a stick in each loop, and turn 
one one way, and the other the opposite. If the 
bands slip, rub them with wax. 

The English ferrules, not fitting so closely, are not 
liable to this objection ; but, on the other hand, would 
come apart- in use, to the intense disgust of the 
angler, were they not held together by a piece of 
silk, that, when they are set up, has to be wound 
round a loop of brass fastened upon each for the pur- 
pose. This silk must be cut every time the rod is 
taken apart, and occasions much trouble. The Irish 
use a screw-joint, which is firm and not liable to 
bind ; but it is difficult to fit, easy to break, and, in 
the woods, impossible to replace. Among these plans 
the simple socket has obtained the preference, and 
probably is entitled to the distinction. 

It is doubtless useless for me at this day to tell any 



FLY-FISHING. 255 

iDtelligent sportsman that the butt of a fly-rod must 
never be hollow ; its solidity is necessary to a proper 
balance ; but where the fishing is merely to be done 
along the streams, a spear-head that can be screwed 
into the end will add little to the weight, and prove 
useful driven into the ground to hold the rod, while 
the fisherman changes his flies or frees them from a 
weed or bush. Ou a trout-rod there should be no 
reel-bands, but a gutta-percha ring, or a leather 
strap and buckle, will retain the reel firmly, and ena- 
ble the angler to change its position at his pleasure, 
and by altering the balance, rest his wrist. These 
seem trivial matters, but mole-hills are mountains if 
they rest upon a sore spot. On a salmon-rod the 
reel-bands should be strong, and about a foot from 
the end. 

There should be rings or guides enough on a fly- 
rod to bring the strain evenly throughout, and if one 
is destroyed, it should be replaced at once, or a lia- 
bility tobreak will result. If rings are used, they and 
the brass top should be large and fastened on Avith 
a whipping of silk, that adds much strength to the 
wood. Where a spliced rod is used, it is well to 
have a small ring of brass, somewhat similar to the 
reel-band on each joint, under which the end of the 
splice can be slij)ped before fastening it. 

For salmon and trout-fishing, the reel had better 
be a simple, large barrelled click-reel, as the music of 
the line, unwinding to the rush of these splendid fish, 
while it indicates the rate of its diminution, is to the 
angler what the clarion is to the warrior, or the 



256 FLY-FISHING. 

hound's bay to the deer hunter ; but a multiplier, made 
as tbey are only made in this country^ working with 
the beauty and accuracy of clock-work, is by no 
means inadmissible. A drag must be used with the 
multiplier, but a stop never; the latter is utterly 
useless, and by slipping unexpectedly, may destroy 
your tackle. The reel must be manufactured with 
the greatest care and of the best workmanship ; no 
implement is so worthless if poor, and none will bet- 
ter repay the sportsman if perfect. In salmon-fish- 
ing, it is only in desperate straits that any effort is 
made to check the fish ; he is ordinarily too violent 
to submit to such treatment ; otherwise, as the single- 
barrelled reel revolves toward you, it could not be 
used, as it cannot in bass-fishing. 

A multiplier should have steel pins, which require 
care and frequent oiling ; the same reel may be 
used for bass, and, if armed with a drag as above 
stated, in case of necessity in salmon-fishing. For 
both salmon and bass it should be of the largest 
size, and may be painted black to preserve it from 
rust, and to avoid alarming the fish. The line will 
occasionally catch round the handle, to prevent 
which, the latter is sometimes constructed of a but- 
ton fitting in a plate. 

All reels must be oiled occasionally. On one occa- 
sion I proved this to my satisfaction in a very unsa- 
tisfactory way. 

The weather had been hot and dry ; the water had 
fallen and become transparent as crystal ; the fish 
were shy and cautious. After exhausting my in- 



FLY-FISHING. 257 

genuity in selecting new flies to suit their capricious 
tastes, I had settled upon one of bright yellow, which, 
if the gentlemen did not wish to eat, they did seem 
to enjoy inspecting ; they rose to it freely, and after 
I had tried in vain to strike them, curiosity in- 
duced me to keep count of their number. 

Fourteen times had they risen and disappeared 
uninjured ; fourteen times had my nerves tingled, 
and my blood started; fourteen times had sudden 
hope turned to bitter disappointment, till anticipa- 
tion settled down into dull despair. Only those who 
have themselves had such painful experiences can 
appreciate my feelings ; the continual tantalizing 
approximation to success, to be followed by agoniz- 
ing failure ; the renewed hope that the next rise 
would result in the capture of a fish ever to remain 
unfulfilled ; the desperate effort to strike quicker or 
to cast more attractively ; all these and many other 
feelings swarmed through my heart, as fish after fish 
approached his fate, and invariably escaped. 

They seemed to be feeding, as it is called, and when 
the fly passed they rose, and turning over like a 
porpoise chasing mossbunkers, seemed to take it in 
their mouths. They did not spring out of water in 
the gaiety of reckless play, but acted as they would 
have done if swallowing the natural insect. • Not 
that it is certain that salmon feed on flies ; but while 
they can rarely be taken while playing, they often 
can be when acting in a manner resembling feeding. 

My patience not exhausted, for it never is while 
fish will rise, I directed the canoe to be droj^ped 



258 FLY-FISHING. 

towards the lower end of the fishing-ground, and 
stepped from it to a rock in the stream, and then 
casting the farthest and lightest possible, was re- 
warded. A magnificent fish rose ; was secured by 
a quick turn of the butt, and stung by the unexpected 
pain, fled down the current. Away he went, on 
without a pause, the reel hissing, the line unwinding, 
and darting into the water, till having exhausted 
seventy-five yards of line, and being partially turned 
by its weight and the resistance of the click, he 
stopped with a heavy surge, and heading back, ap- 
proached as fast as he had fled. Instantly and in- 
stinctively my hand fell upon the handle of the reel ; 
it would not turn, no effort could budge it ; conceive 
my feelings now, if mortal man can conceive them. 
The fish coming towards us, the line lying in a long 
heavy bag behind him, threatening to sink and catch 
round some rock, or by its slacking up release the 
hook ; I jerked in the line, thinking a grain of sand 
might have penetrated between the plates, and tried 
the handle first one way, then the other, in vain. 

This all passed with the speed of thought, but 
the fish was approaching as quickly ; there was no- 
thing left but calling one of my men to tell him to 
take in the line, hand over hand, and holding it in 
a loose coil, be prepared to pay it out on the next 
rush. Then thinking that the plates must be bent, 
I took from my pocket a screw-driver that I always 
cari'ied, and unloosened every screw. There I stood, 
grasping in one hand the rod, Avhile the tip bent to 
the motions of the fish, with the other working away 



FLY-FISHING. 259 

at the reel ; beside me my best man, slowly clrawino- 
in or paying out the line as need must; both of us 
eager, anxious, and startled at this new mode of 
killing salmon; the fish, vigorous as ever, making 
continual and sustained rushes, but fortunately none 
as extended as his first. 

I had freed every screw in the reel, but without 
any result ; it was as immovable as ever ; there was 
no resource but to do the best we could, in our origi- 
nal mode of proceeding, under the circumstances. 
Never before had a fish proved himself stronger or 
braver ; for a good half hour he kept us on the 
stretch, and then sulked. Stationing himself in the 
edge of the current, he held his own doggedly ; fif- 
teen minutes of such behavior exhausted our pa- 
tience. If I tried to lead him toAvards the shore, he 
took advantage of the eddy to resist ; if to turn him 
the other way, he braced himself against the current ; 
a severe strain, however, brought him to the surface, 
and revealed the fact that he was not sulking at the 
bottom, but resolutely swimming, head up stream, in 
the current. 

Not a little surprised, we tossed in a pebble, then 
a stone, at last a rock, when, indignant, he fled down 
stream; fifteen minutes more of exciting contest, 
several rushes when he was on the point of being 
captured, resulted at last in bringing him flouncing 
on the gaff* out of water. He only weighed fifteen 
potmds, but had been hooked foul, the point having 
penetrated at the hard bone near the eye. 

I then sat down deUberately to discover what had 



260 FLY-FISHING. 

happened to my reel ; it seemed to be in perfect 
order, but would not move ; I tried to drive the 
shaft out of its bearing with the mallet — a heavy club 
of wood used to kill the fish after they are gaifed, 
but only after a good hour's work did I succeed in 
separating it, and found that for want of oil the two 
surfaces had become almost solid. They were as 
bright as burnished gold, and had evidently been 
heated by the first desperate rush of the fish; after 
being touched with a drop of oil and replaced, they 
worked beautifully. 

It is curious to note how, in salmon-fishing, acci- 
dents A\dll happen when the fish is on the hook ; if 
the line is weakened, or the leader fretted, or the rod 
strained, the weight and power of the fish expose 
the weakness ; if anything is aught but perfect, it 
gives way at that critical moment. In trout-fishing 
yon are apt to discover the defects in time, and in 
bass-fishing the tackle is coarse and strong ; but in 
salmon-fishing you first learn their presence by their 
parting. Never use a doubtful strand of gut, or a 
second-quality hook; never tie a knot without 
thoroughly testing it, and never use a leader that is in 
the least worn. 

The best line by far, for both salmon and trout- 
fishing, is the braided silk covered with a water- 
proof preparation, and tapered to the fineness of the 
gut-leader. If this can be obtained no other should 
be thought of, but if it cannot, the others are about 
on a disgraceful par of mediocrity ; the one that is 
usually praised, that of silk and horse-hair mixed, 



FLY-FISHING. 261 

being, if possible, the worst, for while it has the 
weakness of the horse-hair, and water-soaking capa- 
city of the silk, it has a difficulty especially its own, 
arising from the protrusion of short ends of hair 
that have broken or rotted off, and which are con- 
tinually catching the rings, or guides. The common 
silk line may be coated with raw linseed oil by 
stretching it in a garret or some place shaded from 
the sun, and rubbing it with a cloth soaked in the 
oil ; several coats must be applied, allowing each to 
dry before a renewal, and care must be taken to 
avoid exposure to the sun's rays, which will rot the 
line. If thoroughly coated it will answer nearly as 
well as if prepared in a more scientific manner. 

The elegance, ease, and delicacy of casting 
depend much upon the proportions of the leader or 
casting-line, its length, taper, and adaptation to the 
line and rod ; if these are not accurately ascertained 
and complied with — and they can only be determined 
by actual experience with each rod and line — the 
execution will be faulty. Consequently no absolute 
rule can be given, but the length and taper must de- 
pend upon circumstances. The strands of gut are 
selected, the clearest, roundest, and hardest being 
the best, and having been assorted according to size, 
are tied together with the double-water knot for sal- 
mon-fishing, and with either the same or the single-, 
water knot for trout. If it is desired to fasten the 
droppers between the knots, the latter must be used, 
and the gut must be well soaked in warm water 
before it is tied. Leaders thus prepared and suited 



262 FLY-FISHING. 

accurately to the line and rod, will be found cheaper 
anTi more satisfactory than those usually sold in the 
shops, and may be tapered to any degree of fine- 
ness. 

The fly-book in which the sportsman collects his 
treasures — the fairy imitations of the tiny nymphs of 
the waterside — and which is the source of so much 
delight in inspecting, replenishing, and arranging 
during the season that the trout are safe from hon- 
orable i^ursuit, is at present one of the most un- 
gainly and inconvenient things that he uses. It is 
either of mammoth size and filled with flannel 
leaves in which the moth revel, but in which the 
hooks will not stick, or it is so ingeniously arranged 
that the flies on one page entangle themselves in a 
remarkably complicated manner with those on the 
other, and whenever the book is opened do their 
best to tumble out and carry with them such leaders 
as may be within reach of their obstinate barbs. It 
has places for articles that are not wanted, and none 
for those that are; the disgorger, an instrument 
about as useful to the angler as a jack-plane, is 
always present, while a piece of India-rubber to 
straighten gut, or even silk and wax, is never to be 
found. The pockets and slips are so arranged that 
the flies cannot be got at without much difliculty, or 
else fall out with perfect ease, and are invariably, 
when released, found with the gut so curled up that 
it cannot be straightened for some time. In fact, 
the present style of fly-book is a disgusting mon- 
strosity. The true plan is to so arrange the pockets 



FLY-FISHING. 263 

that those of one page will come opposite tlie hooks 
on the other in such manner that there can be no 
entanglement ; of course the snells of the stretchers 
cannot be kept straightened, but the droppers, hav- 
ing shorter snells, may be secured under strips of 
paper, and left at full length, the alternate flies 
being at each extremity of the leaf; and on the 
adjoining leaf in the pockets may be similar flies 
dressed for stretchers. Or the droppers, all having 
the gut tied, of the same length by measurement, 
over two pins stuck into the table, may be secured 
on both sides of a separate sheet of pasteboard upon 
hooks and eyes, the fly-hook being fastened into the 
eye and the loop upon the hook. The latter is 
attached to a short piece of elastic, and will hold the 
gut straight and safe. The boards thus prepared 
are carried in long pockets between the leaves. The 
book, when filled and ready for use, should not be too 
large to be carried in the breast pocket, should be 
composed of stout parchment or ass skin that will 
resist the effect of dampness, covered, with leather 
or morocco, and closed with a neat clasp. 

The best implements will not make an angler, nor 
enable him, without skill that can only be obtained 
by patience and perseverance, to perform his duty 
creditably at the river-side. Especially must he 
learn to cast his flies far, lightly, and accurately, for 
of all the angler's qualifications this art is the most 
necessary. To do this every writer on fishing has 
given particular directions, but in reality no plan or 
formula can be made that is not subject to great 



264 FLY-FISHING. 

modifications ; the following, probably, is as nearly 
correct as any: After the line is lifted from the 
water, which is done with a quick upward motion 
of the wrist, the forearm is slowly and steadily 
raised until the line has described the necessary 
curve and is extended almost directly behind the 
angler, when a fresh impulse from the wiist changes 
the direction to a forward one, the arm following 
the motion until the line has nearly reached its 
limit, when it is checked by an almost imperceptible 
motion of the wrist, and the flies are made to drop 
on the water gently and quivering with almost the 
tremor of life. This is the rule when the cast is 
down wind and unobstructed, and the breeze light 
and equable, but in practice each cast must be 
adjusted to the peculiar circumstances under which 
it is made ; the force that will drive out the line in 
a heavy breeze will not be vigorous enough if it dies 
down at the next cast, and the line must be stopped 
short or it will not extend itself; on the other hand, 
if the wind suddenly increases to a gusty flaw, the 
flies will be driven into the water with a splash, un- 
less the arm is extended to exhaust the additional 
force. If the cast is across a strong wind, the line 
is lifted against it and makes almost a complete cir- 
cle, and if well managed can be made to so resist it 
that, in the roughest weather, it will go out its full 
length and fall with beautiful delicacy. In a hard 
blow the difiiculty will be in raising the line, and at 
times it will not be found necessary to lift the flies 
entirely from the water before casting, as the wind, 



FLY-FISHING. 265 

by its pressure on the bag of the line, will carry 
them out of itself. In fishing a stream there is 
much to be learned in the art of jerking the flies 
under the bushes, and tossing the back line directly 
upwards to avoid entanglements, instead of behind 
the angler ; proficiency should be obtained with the 
left hand as well as with the right, and in right and 
left casts, that is to say, where the line is raised 
on either side and the flies brought over either 
shoulder. This last point is essential if two anglers 
are to fish from the same boat, for each should 
invariably keep the tip of his rod over the shoulder 
opposite to his neighbor. 

These observations are probably all that can be 
placed on paper with any advantage, for complete 
knowledge can only be obtained at the brook or 
pond under the guidance of those skilful teachers, 
patience and perseverance ; and after the line has 
been neatly cast and the trout lured from his lair 
under the bank of the stream, or his mossy bed at 
the bottom of the pond, the art of striking him, that 
is, fixing the hook firmly in his mouth when he has 
grasped it, can only be acquired by actual experi- 
ence. All written directions on this subject maybe 
reduced to two — it is done with a motion of the wrist 
and as quickly as possible; and yet if this art is not 
mastered, the rest will be in vam. 

There are few matters connected with fly-fishing 

that have been more discussed, and about which 

there has been more difference of opinion, than the 

length of line that can be cast with the ordinary 

12 



266 FLY-FISHING. 

tront-rod. Assertions are common, and certificates 
even have been given at public contests that compe- 
titors have cast one hundred feet of hue, and many 
persons, especially those not thoroughly initiated, 
imagine that they can readily manage seventy, eighty, 
or ninety. But this matter was brought to a defi- 
nite issue at the convention of tlie Sportsmen's 
Clubs of the State of New York, held in 1864, at 
the City of New York, when a handsome prize was 
oflTered for excellence in casting the fly, and rules 
were carefully prepared to govern the trial. These 
rules are given at length hereafter, and provide an 
allow^ance, for length and weight of rod, and pre- 
scribe certain distinctions as to whether the contest 
is only as to distance, or as to delicacy and accu- 
racy in addition. In the instance referred to, it was 
determined that all these points were to be included. 
No rod was admitted that weighed over one pound 
or exceeded twelve feet and six inches in length ; a 
gut-leader of not less than eight feet was required, 
and to this three flies were to be attached. The 
tackle and rods used by the competitors were, in 
every instance, those that they were accustomed to 
use in actual fishing, the lines being generally of 
plaited silk, covered with the ordinaiy water-proof 
preparation. The water was without a current, but 
ruffled by the effects of a light breeze that died 
away entirely ere the contest was over, and the stand 
was a floating platform, level with the surface, and 
upon which the weaves occasionally washed so as to 
wet the feet of the contestants. The distance was 



V FLY-FISHING. 267 

measured along the water by a rope stretched laiit 
and marked at every foot of its length with buoys ; 
l^arallel with this, and close to it, a staging was 
erected, on which the spectators could stand and 
observe accurately the quality of every cast. The 
contestants were required to use both hands, and 
were restricted to five minutes' time. The judges 
were three of the most experienced fishermen of the 
State, one of whom is celebrated for his proficiency 
in, and devotion to casting the fly. 

It will be observed that several customary advan- 
tages were lost by this disposition, or brought to an 
equality ; there was no elevation above the water, 
which is always difficult to measure, and which, of 
course, adds immensely to the distance that can be 
covered ; there was little or no wind to add to the 
forward motion of the line, and no current to 
straighten it out, or assist, by a slight resistance to 
the rod, in recovering it, which, after all, is the main 
difficulty, as the line that can be lifted and extended 
behind the fisherman will readily reach its full 
length in front of him ; and the distance cast was 
measured, not along the line, which will invariably 
sag more or less, and may have its length consider- 
ably augmented by an irregularity in delivery, but 
along the water. Moreover, the Competitors were 
required to make a neat as well as long cast, lest 
they should be ruled out for want of delicacy, and 
had to prove their thorough proficiency by dexterity 
with the left hand. 

The rods used were respectively of ash, with a 



268 FLY-FISHING. 

split bamboo tip ; of cedar, with a lance-wood tip ; and 
of split bamboo throughout ; and were all of the best 
Avorkmanship and perfect representatives of their 
kinds; the contestants were some of the best anglers 
of the State, and nothing occurred to mar the plea- 
sure of the contest or to disparage the correctness of 
the award. The prize was won by the cedar rod, 
which was twelve feet three and one-half inches 
long, and weighed, with heavy mountings, fourteen 
ounces ; and the greatest distance cast with the right 
hand was sixty-three feet, although the allowance 
carried the official return to sixty-eight feet ; and 
with the left hand the absolute distance was fifty- 
seven feet. The author cannot help adding that the 
cedar rod was in his hands, and that the prize is 
now in his fire-proof safe, as he thinks that success 
at such a trial and against such competitors is legi- 
timate ground for no little vanity. 

It is reported that there was a contest of a simi- 
lar nature in England ; but while the length of rod 
was restricted to twelve feet, there was no allow- 
ance for weight. The contestants stood several feet 
above the level of the water, and the distance 
reached was seventy-two feet. This, therefore, 
scarcely furnishes a ground for comparison, as a rod 
may be made so heavy at the top and limber in the 
middle as to cast a prodigious line, but which would 
be utterly unwieldy at the river side ; and for every 
foot of elevation several feet ol additional length are 
gained. In public trials attention mustbe paid to these 
particulars, or they will furnish no satisfactory test. 



FLY-FISHING. 269 

The writer once cast seventy-two feet with the 
same cedar rod that won the prize ; but this, al- 
though without the assistance of any wind, was 
done from a sUght elevation with the aid of a cur- 
rent, and was measured by the length of line. It is 
undoubted, moreover, that sixty-three feet is not 
the limit that can be attained where no attention is 
paid to delicacy in delivering the flies, or where but 
one fly or none whatever is used. The line can be 
cast considerably farther without a fly attached than 
with it, and the length and taper of casting-line 
should accord exactly with the weight and taper of 
line. This has to be regulated in a measure by 
practice, and should be carefully determined before 
a public trial is undertaken. 

The author of the American Angler's Book re- 
commends that the largest fly should be used as the 
stretcher. This is all wrong, and no one that does 
so will ever deliver his flies far and neatly. It is 
contrary to the principle of tapering the line, and 
has no advantage whatever to recommend it. The 
largest fly should be the upper dropper or bob, and 
the next in size the second dropper, while the 
stretcher should be the smallest. Then not only 
will the taper be maintained, but if a trout rises at 
the droppers there will be more probability of strik- 
ing him. One of the contestants at the trial above 
mentioned delivered his line so delicately that the 
flies often could not be seen to strike the water or 
make the least disturbance on its surface, although 
the spectators were close to the spot where they fell. 



270 FLY-FISHING. 

He was on a previous occasion ruled out of a con- 
test because the judges could not see where his flies 
alighted. He is especially careful to maintain the 
true taper of line, casting-line, and flies, and would 
scout the idea of using a cast with its largest fly at 
the stretcher. This is as gross a heresy as putting 
a shot in the fly-hook, which, while it may tend to 
break the rod, instead of increasing will diminish the 
distance reached. 

The author of the work referred to, although 
doubtless a hearty participant in the angler's plea- 
sures, and fond of the free life in the wild woods by 
the side of the secluded stream, shows, by his pre- 
ference for common flies and coarse tackle, that he 
does not appreciate the higher development of his 
art in its purity ; content rather to fill his basket with 
a stout hackle from the well-stocked brook of the 
rarely visited forest, than to tempt the dainty trout 
■with finer imitations from the well-fished pond of 
the cultivated country. Not only are large flies, 
especially at the stretcher, difiicult to cast, but the 
hackles which he especially recommends are, from 
the resistance to the air ofiered by their numerous 
bristles, by far the most difiicult. It is almost im- 
possible with a light rod to cast a large hackle deli- 
cately to a distance ; and when three are used, it is 
entirely so. In clear pools such an apparition 
would frighten the trout from their "feed" for 
a week. But in a boisterous, roaring, foaming 
mountain cataract, where the fish cannot see the 
fisherman at all, and find difiiculty in seeing 



FLY-FISHING. 271 

their prey, hackles and palmers are perfec- 
tion. 

The foregoing match was governed by the follow- 
ing rules, which have been permanently adopted by 
the New York Sportsmen's Club, but the allowance 
of time is not sufficient where delicacy and distance 
both are to be determined ; and the better plan would 
be to allow each contestant first to extend his line 
as far as he can, and then to restrict him to five 
minutes as to the other matters at issue. 

Rules of the I^Tew Yoek Spoetsmen's Club, eor 
Contests in Fly-Casting. 

No Bod shall be allowed over twelve feet six 
inches in length, nor more than one pound in weight, 
and it shall be used with a single hand. 

A practicable Line and Click-Reel shall be at- 
tached to the rod. 

One Stretcher Fly must be used, and a Casting- 
Line or Leader^ of single gut, of not less than six 
feet in length. 

Additional Flies may be added in the discretion 
of the contestants. 

No attached weight of any kind on the line or fly 
shall be permitted. 

Allowance of distance shall be made according to 
the length and weight of each rod of five feet for 
every foot of length and two feet for every ounce of 
iceight^ and at that rate for a part of a foot or ounce, 
deducting for a hollow butt or the omission of the 
customary mountings. 



272 FLY-FISHING. -^ 

Each contestant shall be allowed ^^ye minutes for 
casting, and in case of accident, such as the parting 
of the fly, or entangling of the line, the referee may 
once allow additional tinie^ in his discretion. 

No cast shall be valid unless the line be retrieved. 

The character of the contest, whether as to dis- 
tance^ accuracy^ or delicacy, shall be stated at the 
time of making the terms, and, if not so stated, shall 
be only as to the distance, Avhich, if practicable, shall 
be measured along the water. 

In case delicacy and accuracy are to be considered, 
the casting shall be done with each hand, across, 
against, and with the wind, in over and under casts, 
and not less than three flies must be used on a leader 
of at least eis^ht feet in length. 

Salmon Fly-Casting. — The above rules shall gov- 
ern, unless it shall be distinctly agreed that the con- 
test is to be with double-handed rods, in which case 
they shall be modified as follows : 

The rods shall not be over twenty feet, and the 
casting-line or leader not less than ten feet in length. 

Allowance of distance shall be made for length, 
but not for weight, and no more than one fly shall 
be used in any event. 



In addition to the imitations of the natural fly, 
efibrts have been continually made to use artificial 
representations of the other food and baits for fish ; 
exact and beautiful copies of grasshojipors and fi-ogs 
have been constructed, and painted of the proper 



FLY-FISHING. 273 

color, but either from the nature of the composition 
or some other cause, entirely in vain. Indeed it is 
doubtful whether any fish was ever captured with 
such delusions as grasshoppers, crickets, or frogs, and 
although they are still retained in the shops, tliey no 
longer find a place amid the angler's paraphernalia. 
Squid and spoons are usually supposed to imitate 
minnow, and have always been to a greater or less 
degree successful, but the imitation fish itself has, 
until late years, invariably proved a failure. With 
the discovery of the proper prej^aration of gutta- 
percha, and its application to the innumerable pur- 
poses for which it is now employed,, came the sugges- 
tion that it might in various ways serve the angler ; 
as wading-boots and water-proof clothing, of course, 
but also for bait-boxes, rods, and finally minnows. 
A little fish made of this material is not only a fault- 
less imitation of the original, and is even curved in 
a way to produce the most perfect spin, but being 
soft to the teeth, seems absolutely to convince the 
trout in spite of their palates that it is wholesome 
and appropriate food. This imitation is used with 
satisfactory results, not only for trout to which it is 
peculiarly adapted, but also for snapping mackerel 
and lake-trout ; it is so admirably prepared that the 
eye cannot detect the deception, and it has about 
the same consistency as fish itself. The back is a 
delicate mottled green, changing to yellow on the 
sides, where there are a few vermilion spots, while 
the lower part is brilliant and sparkling with some 
preparation of quicksilver. There is a gang of three 
12* 



274 FLY-FISHINa. 

hooks near the head and another at the tail, wliich 
is of tin, and the whole is attached to double gut. 
A modification of the same article is made by fasten- 
ing two tin flanges at the head of the same minnow 
and leaving the body straight, but by the change 
more is added to the weight than to its effectiveness. 
This invention is extremely light, being hollow, 
can be cast even with the fly-rod, and has been 
known to do great execution. In its present per- 
fected form, it is a foreign production, but the origi- 
nal discovery was American. It is especially success- 
ful with lake-trout, even more so than with brook- 
trout, but is too delicate to trust in the hungry jaws 
of a savage pickerel. When the snapping mackerel 
first appear, and before their increasing appetites 
have made them as ravenous as they subsequently 
become, and when they will not condescend to the 
leaden squid, they will readily take this gutta-percha 
artificial minnow. One of its great recommendations 
is its lightness ; no imitation bait that falls with a loud 
splash into the water can do other than terrify the 
timid trout ; and to make castings pleasure, the rod 
must be delicate, which cannot be if the bait is heavy. 
The squid is usually supposed to be the original 
imitation of a minnow, and has held a prominent 
pLace among the angler's delusions for many years; 
in bass-fishing, in trolling for blue-fish, and even for 
lake trout, it is worthy of all praise. For bass, it is 
true, the natural squid is far more tempting, but 
this queer monstrosity is difticult to obtain, and its 
substitute has often captured enormous fish ; for blue- 



FLY-FISHING. 275 

fish no other bait is ordmarily used, and for lake- 
trout the ivory squid can hardly be surpassed. The 
ordinary kinds are of lead, pewter, bone, which 
are often hollow, and admit the insertion of a large 
hook; and of pearl, the latter in its most killing 
shape having flanges and spinning like the minnow. 
For blue-fish and their young — the snapping macke- 
rel, lead is the favorite, while for lake-trout and 
pickerel, ivory is preferable, although this rule is 
not invariable ; and on dark days the light-colored 
material will be occasionally preferred by all these 
varieties. 

As the trolling-spoons resemble no known crea- 
ture, they also are supposed to be intended and 
accepted for the minnow, although it is difficult to 
conceive why fish with their sharp sight, that can 
distinguish an almost microscopic midge upon the 
surface of the water twenty feet above their heads, 
should mistake a piece of revolving tin for a living 
fish. The first of these contrivances were manufac- 
tured and named from the bowl of a pewter spoon, 
the handle being broken off and holes drilled in each 
end, so that the line and hooks could be attached ; 
this bait was found to revolve and glitter in the 
water in an attractive way. It is now almost super- 
seded by other modifications ; but still, Avhen made 
of bright tin and painted of a dark color on the con- 
vex side, and rather more elongated than the ordi- 
nary pattern, it is successful with lake-trout and 
Mackinaw salmon. The first alteration in shape v/as 
by fitting two flanges or wings on a long, hollow 



276 FLi^-nsHiNG. 

body, upon the principle of a screw, and named 
after Archimedes, by which a rapid revohition wns 
produced ; but aUhough this inveiition seemed to 
man nearly perfect, it did not satisfy the fish ; for a 
very small spoon it will answer, but when lai'ger is 
not so attractive as other kinds. Several alterations 
and combinations of these two plans were produced 
from time to time ; they proved to be merely changes 
and not improvements, until an invention was made 
that is usually called Buel's Patent Spoon — although 
it has been said that his patent only covers the 
application of three hooks instead of two, and that 
the invention has long been in use among the picke- 
rel fishermen of the St. Lawrence. Tlie blacksmiths 
on the banks of that river certainly manufacture 
them unrestrainedly of such material as they prefer, 
but only use two hooks; and this would not proba- 
bly be permitted if the patent was broad enough to 
prevent it. 

Be that as it may, however, it is known as Buel's 
Spoon ; it is made by fastening two or three hooks 
back to back, and attaching a piece of tin nearly 
elliptical in shape, so that it can revolve freely round 
a collar at the shank. This is its simplest form, 
and the one preferred for mascallonge, for w^liich 
two strong tliick hooks are used, firmly soldered to- 
gether ; and for pickerel, black-bass, and lake-trout, 
it is safer to have the hooks either soldered into one 
piece or attached by wire, as the fierce struggles 
and sharp teeth of these species wWl soon destroy 
thread or silk. The tin is painted of various colors, 



FLY-FISHING. 277 

or even replaced with brass, and should be kept 
well burnished on the bright side. Feathers of 
gaudy colors, such as ibis, golden pheasant neck, 
mallard, and wood-duck, interspersed with plain 
white, are often fastened along the shank ; spoons 
thus prepared are favorites of the black-bass, but 
have no advantage for mascallonge over the bare 
hooks ; they are also used successfully for trout, 
especially those captured in salt water, and the fea- 
thers as well as the coloring of the tin may be 
adapted to the state of the weather. On clear, sun- 
shiny days dull colors are preferable, as with artifi- 
cial flies ; and in dark or rainy weather the lightest 
colors answer best. Three additional hooks are 
sometimes added, and allowed to dangle loosely be- 
low the others ; although these occasionally capture 
a fish that has missed striking the spoon fairly, they 
are more frequently bitten off; they are really no 
advantage, and if once imbedded in the bristling 
jaws of a gasping pickerel, their extraction is both 
difiicult and dangerous. 

Of the different varieties of artificial bait, not of 
course including the artificial fly, the most general 
and successful is Buel's Spoon ; it is taken by all tlie 
pickerel, from the monstrous mascallonge to the 
tiny native of Long Island ; by the trout of lake or 
brook ; by the black-bass of the North and South, 
and by the young blue-fish of the salt water ; it is 
generally a greater favorite than the artificial, and 
sometimes even than the natural bait ; with black- 
bass it has no competitor but the fly, and with sea- 



278 FLY-FISHING. 

trout it occasionally surpasses the artificial fly itself. 
Its irregularity of motion, consequent upon the mode 
of revolution, seems to be its charm ; and although 
it does not spin as well as the Archimedes, it is in- 
finitely more killing. It has in open water almost 
supplanted the use of bait for pickerel and mascal- 
longe, and it has been used to a murderous extent 
by greedy fishermen in trolling the waters of Moose- 
head Lake for trout. 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 279 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN-. 

Among all the arts and sciences that improve, ele- 
vate, or embellish society, or that contribute to the 
pleasure and comfort of mankind, the one that is the 
most necessary to health and happiness, has produced 
the fewest great geniuses, and is the least under 
stood, is cookery. Amid the thousands of men and 
women who pretend to a knowledge of its mysteries, 
how difficult is it among the former, and how im- 
possible among the latter, to find a good cook — 
one who is devoted heart and soul to the intricate 
science, who passes days in pondering and nights in 
dreaming of these delicate combinations that consti- 
tute pure and refined taste ! 

The world has produced in hundreds painters that 
delight the eye. composers that enrapture the ear, 
scholars that convince the intellect, poets that touch 
the heart ; but of culinary artists that enchant the 
stomach, the truly great may be counted on the fin- 
gers. In ancient times more attention was paid to 
gastrology, but the degraded taste that could em- 
ploy an emetic to enable the repetition of indul- 
gence, and the limited resources of restricted na- 
tional intercourse, have left us little of value to be 
gleaned for the experience of antiquity. The great 
masters of the kitchen of those times have passed 



280 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN". 

away into oblivion, or have left only a few crude 
dishes, remarkable more for their extravagance than 
their excellence. It was a deficiency of knowledge 
and high art that drove the gourmands of early days 
to peacocks' brains, nightingales' tongues, and dis- 
solved jewels. 

The middle ages have left us some right royal 
dishes ; the boar's head, the roasted ox, the black 
pudding, mince-pies, the plum-pudding ; remarka- 
ble, however, more for their substantial character 
that satisfied a vigorous appetite, than for delicacy 
that would gratify an educated taste. During this 
period, howeyer, many drinks attained a perfection 
that has never been improved on, and those deli- 
cious combinations that were called cardinal, bishop, 
punch, and the hearty sack, are almost as well 
known and as great favorites now as then. There 
is nothing to be drawn from the dark ages in the 
least elevating to the science of gastronomy, and we 
must look to modern times, and mainly to the 
French nation, for our highest authorities and tru- 
est instruction. 

Catherine de Medicis introduced the art of cook- 
ery into France, and liqueurs were invented during 
the reign of Louis XIV., since v.hich time the re- 
vered names of Vatel, Soyer, Ude, Kitchiner, Be- 
chamel, and Carmel have become household words 
throughout Christendom ; their skill has shed a be- 
nign influence over mankind, has restored invalids 
to health, and brought peace to families ; they are 
quoted and looked upon with deep respect by all. 



COOKERY FOE SPORTSMEISr. 281 

Coarse minds, to whom the allurements of gastro- 
nomy are incomprehensible, consider cooking vul- 
gar ; while a few pitiable individuals are created 
without the sense to distinguish the tasty from the 
tasteless, as there are persons without an eye for 
the beauties of nature or an ear for the harmony of 
sounds. These unfortunates deserve our sympathy ; 
but for the individual who affects to despise the 
pleasures of the table, as loftily placing himself above 
what he terms grovelling appetites, nothing is ap- 
propriate but contempt. Who would believe or 
respect the man who claimed that his inability to 
distinguish green from red was a credit to him ? 
Or could tolerate one who was filled v/ith ostenta- 
tious pride because, by a wretched malformation, he 
could not tell Old Hundred from Casta Diva f 

The sense of taste is as noble, and as capable of 
education and improvement, as the art of the painter 
or the musician. The stomach being the governor, 
master, and director of the body, when it is pleased 
the intellect works with force, the eye and ear are 
in full play, and the nerves and muscles tingle with 
animation; when it is sick or exhausted the eye 
grows dull, the intellect feeble, the ear inaccurate, 
and the whole body drooping and spiritless. It has 
its ramifications in every part of the system, and 
controls as inferiors the other organs. An ill-cooked 
dinner has lost many a battle, ruined many an indi- 
vidual, and disgraced many a genius ; it is said that 
an indigestible ragout cost Napoleon his crown. 

Life is dear to all, and yet persons are continually 



282 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 

committing a disagreeable and prolonged suicide, 
accompanied with painful indigestions and untold 
sufferings, by attempting to despise the rules that 
the imperative stomach has laid down. Under cer- 
tain well-known chemical laws, food is rendered 
both digestible and palatable by special modes of 
preparation, and mdigestible and unpalatable by 
other modes. The same piece of meat that, fried, 
will resemble shoe-leather, and afford neither plea- 
sure nor sustenance, if nicely broiled would prove 
agreeable to the palate and wholesome to the body. 

Oui: country is overflowing with abundance of the 
raw material from w^hich good dinners are made; 
but we are absolutely without cooks, and the average 
American life is shortened one-tenth by the misera- 
ble ignorance of the rules of cookery that pervades all 
classes. The farmer Jbolts his heavy griddle cakes 
and tasteless fried meats ; while the wealthy citizen 
devours rich gravies and ill-prej)ared compounds. 
The former loses his teeth, the latter incurs the 
thousand horrors of dyspepsia, and both shorten 
their lives. 

But to rise above the unimportant consideration 
of mere life, which is held in our land at its true 
value, and regarding cookery from a loftier point 
of view, is there not something noble in the art that 
moulds together the various subjects of taste, and 
builds up an exquisite, soul-thrilling composition ? Is 
not that man worthy of our deepest admiration, who, 
not only from the wealth of materials prepares the 
perfection of luxury, but when reduced to the sim- 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN". 283 

plest articles, still manages to gratify the most deli- 
cate and exacting of our organs ? Who has not felt 
his heart expand as he surveyed a royal feast ; his 
affections become purified, his feelings elevated, as 
dish followed dish, and each proved itself worthy of 
the other ; and at last has not taken a gentler view 
of human kind when contentment filled his soul ? 
A good dinner encourages generosity, begets sympa- 
thy, increases geniality, while it strengthens the 
intellect and the nerves ; a bad dinner produces ill- 
nature, leads to discontent and quarrelling, dulls 
the mind, and injures the body. The former aids 
Christianity and promotes virtue ; the latter is the 
bold accomplice of vice and crime ; evil humors can- 
not exist in the body without spreading to the mind, 
and vices in the former create vices in the latter. 
Controlled by that complacency which is the sto- 
mach's return for kind treatment, the evil passions 
sleep, and fading gradually, lose half their strength; 
whereas, if aggravated by perpetual dissatisfaction 
and uneasiness, they become- daily more violent, till 
they disdain command and burst forth in unrestrain- 
ed fury. So that the soul, even, may be endangered 
by bad cookery. The civilization and power of na- 
tions advance in proportion to their improvement 
in their cuisine, and the reformation is said to be 
due to the strong Teutonic impatience of fast days. 
A coarse taste in eating is as sure an indication of 
coarseness in mind and habits, as delicacy of taste is 
of delicacy and refinement in other particulars. As 
the more vulgar desires are controlled by the 



284 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 

higher impulses of the mind, and clean hands are 
often the index of a clean heart, so purity of appe- 
tite usually accompanies purity of soul. Nothing 
condemns the vulgar man more quickly than the 
nature of his appetite, and his mode of gratifying it ; 
driven on like the beasts by hunger, he thinks only 
of the readiest and quickest mode of satisfying the 
unpleasant craving, and never dreams there can be 
anything intellectual in a dinner. The Americans, 
as a nation, are ignorant of the first principles of 
dining; in private, they ruin their digestions ; in pub- 
lic, they disgust their fellows. With that practical 
turn for which they are famous as a body, they de- 
vote themselves to what is profitable; and the arts 
of sculpture, painting, and gastronomy are just begin- 
ning to be appreciated. 

Those huge dishes that delight hungry, vulgar 
John Bull, such as roast beef, boiled mutton, and 
the like, still meet with the approbation of the active 
American ; and while our women, with their natural 
elegance, draw their fashions from France, our mat- 
ter-of-fact men imitate the rude cookery of England. 
It is a melancholy truth that there is no place in 
America where a dinner can be obtained; feed- 
ing-places, miscalled restaurants after those priceless 
legacies of the French revolution, are innumerable ; 
but even the famous Delmonico fails to appreciate 
that wonderful production, the pride of our land — 
none of the miserable little coppery European 
abominations, but the great American oyster — does 
not understand it, and never rises to a proper com- 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 285 

prehension of its capabilities, and consequently never 
serves a perfect dinner. 

So must it be while ignorant Irish cooks — whose 
only claim to the title consists in having spoiled 
thousands of potatoes, in having rarely seen, and 
never cooked, a piece of meat, and only dreamed of 
coffee— possess our kitchens and rule the roast ; and 
as it is impossible for the master of the house, and 
would be unladylike in the mistress, to superintend 
the dinner, the only spot for truly scientific cookery 
is in the woods. There, under the blue vault of 
heaven, where the shade of some friendly tree tem- 
pers the combined heat of sun and fire, accompanied 
only by the interested and appreciative guides, with 
the hot wood fire rapidly forming its pile of glowing 
coals, can the contemplative man, tempted by appe- 
tite and opportunity, devote himself to the higher 
branches of epicurism. Not that the materials are 
plentiful, rich, or costly, but working up from the 
very plainness of his fare a more gratifying com- 
pound. With that bed of coals suggesting broiling, 
and that dancing, smokeless blaze inviting roasting, 
no intelligent being would think of frying meat. 

Under such circumstances, the larder being neces- 
sarily limited, and repetition threatening to breed 
disgust, ingenuity is sharpened and exercised to 
produce variety ; an accurate knowledge of the pow- 
er of different sauces is obtained, and new modes of 
dressing simple articles invented. It is to lead the 
mind of the reader in this direction, and not v^'ith 
the hope of instructing Irish cooks, or educating 



286 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEK. 

American taste, that this short article on cookery is 
written ; and if the life in the woods, or on the water, 
of our sportsmen shall be in a degree improved by 
the effort, the main object will be attained. 

The materials generally at the disposal of the 
hunter or fisherman on the coast and in the woods 
consist of fish, oysters, clams, ducks, ^ame .birds, 
and venison ; while he will carry of necessity pork, 
ship-biscuit, salt, and pepper, and, if possible, eggs, 
flour, sauces, Indian-meal, and as many of the minor 
aids of a good cuisi7ie as his means of transportation 
will admit. 

No attempt will be made to confuse the reader 
with complicated directions for the construction of 
highly seasoned and strangely named French dishes, 
but the simplest and readiest mode of cooking each 
article will be given, with instructions in varying 
the effect. If the enthusiasm inherent in the sub- 
ject shall occasionally carry the writer away and 
lead him to indulge in what the reader — living on 
hard tack and salt pork — may regard as vain ima- 
ginings, the weakness of man in the contemplation 
of so vast a subject must be the excuse ; and the 
disciple need undertake nothing for which he has 
not the materials. 

One of the great deficiencies, although partially 
supplied by the solidified article, is milk, which can- 
not be kept in its natural state, and is badly repre- 
sented by its substitute. Generally, however, water 
will answer in its stead, and for gravies or thicken- 
ing for stews, a little flour mixed with a lump of 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 287 

butter, and dissolved in a cupful of tepid water, is 
an excellent equivalent. 

Oyster Stew. 

The American oyster, to the thoughtful mind, pre- 
sents itself almost as an object of veneration, and 
would among barbarous nations have altars raised 
to its honor ; to the practical mind it is a mine ot 
luxury, a very Golconda of epicurean wealth ; raw 
broiled, baked, roasted, fried, stewed, or scolloped, 
it is the tit-bit of perfection, and in every mode may 
be varied extensively ; it takes all flavors, and is 
delicious without any ; it is improved by all sauces, 
and needs none. It accords with every other dish, 
or mates a dinner alone. The subject has never 
been half explored, much less exhausted. 

A stew may be made with crackers or flour, with 
celery, cheese, or milk, and with or without sauces ; 
but in every instance the juice must be separated 
from the oysters and well cooked before the latter 
are added, or they will be over-done, shrivelled, and 
ruined. The simplest mode is to put some pepjDer, 
salt, and butter in the juice, boil it five minutes, add 
the oysters, and cook for one minute longer. 

Or you may add to the juice crackers pounded 
fine and rolled in butter, and some celery chopped 
fine, or a little cheese and Worcestershire or Har- 
vey sauce ; or you may put a table-spoonful of flour 
and as much butter in a cup, and having rubbed 
them together and added a little of the warm juice, 
may mix this slowly with the rest. This must 



288 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN". 

all be done before the oysters are added ; and where 
flour is used, care must be taken to mix it first with 
a small quantity of fluid, or it will lump. A dry 
stew, which is preferred by many, is made by cook- 
ing the oysters, from which the liquor has been care- 
fully strained, in butter, salt, pepper, and sauce. 

Fried Oysters. 
Dry each oyster separately on a towel ; dip them 
in the yolk of eggs beaten up, and then in pounded 
crackers that have been seasoned with salt and 
pepper ; heat butter or pork drippings in the frying- 
pan, and cook the oysters over a slow fire, turning 
them frequently. Do not use too much butter or 
drippings, but add fresh as required, so as to leave 
the oysters dry when done. A clean tin pan is the 
best, and red pepper preferable to black. Lard is 
detestable for frying anything, and salad oil is per- 
fection. If black pepper is ever used, it should be 
purchased whole and ground by hand, as the fine 
pepper is generally adulterated and flavorless. 

Roasted Oysters. 
To roast an oyster, it is simply put on the fire till 
it opens, when the shell is forced off", and it is eaten 
.from a hot, concave shell, in which butter has been 
melted with vinegar, salt, and pepper ; or it may be 
taken out when half done, and cooked in a pan with 
its own liquor, salt, pepper, and a little butter. 

Broiled Oysters 
Are prepared as for frying, then dipped in melted 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 289 

butter, placed in a double gridiron, and cooked over 
live coals. 

Scolloped Otstees 

Are placed in a deep dish with butter and bread- 
crumbs, or pounded crackers well seasoned and 
baked. 

Clam-Bake. 

The only proper mode of baking clanis was dis- 
covered by the aborigines, and was invariably prac- 
tised by them on their yearly visitations to the sea ; 
the clams are placed on a flat rock side by side, with 
their sharp edges down and the valves up, and when 
so arranged in sufficient numbers, are kept in their 
places by a surrounding circle of stones. A large 
fire is built over them and allowed to burn for about 
twenty minutes, when it is cleared away and the 
clams are extracted from the ashes, overflowing with 
juiciness and steaming with aroma. Burnt fingers 
and lips add to the pleasures of an Indian clam- 
bake. The best sauce is pepper-vinegar. 

Clam ok Fish-Chowder. 

Pork, potatoes, butter, crackers, sauce, salt, pep- 
per, vegetables, and meat, if any can be had, clams 
or fish, or both, are covered with water, placed in a 
close vessel, and stewed slowly till patience is ex- 
hausted, appetite insists upon indulgence, or the 
mess threatens to burn. The large articles are cut 
in pieces of an inch square or thereabouts, and may 
be highly seasoned. 

13 



290 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 

Stewed Clams, or Clam Soup. 
Hard clams are not fit to eat, stew them as you 
will. Soft clams, after the tough parts are removed, 
are excellent stewed with a little butter, or butter 
rolled in flour, as directed for oysters; but being 
richer than oysters, they do not need so many addi- 
tions. The soup is made by thinning the juice be- 
fore it boils with milk, which will curdle if thrown 
into the boiling liquid. Hard clams make a good 
soup if they are cut fine and not eaten. 

Feied or Broiled Clams. 
Soft clams may be prepared as directed for oys- 
ters, the tough parts being first removed. 

Scrambled Eggs. 
Eggs are broken one by one in a cup to make 
sure they are fresh, and then- thrown . into a pan 
with a lump of butter, some salt and pepper, and 
stirred carefully, so as not to break the yolks imme- 
diately, over a slow fire till the whole is almost hard. 
They had better be too soft than too firm. 

Poached Eggs 
Are broken into a cup and poured one by one 
carefully into hot water, and when done are ladled 
out on a flat, broad stick or spoon, so as to let the 
water drain ofi*. 

Fried Eggs. 
Fried eggs are broken one at a time into a cup, 
and poured into hot grease. 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 291 

Omelette. 

Eggs are broken into milk, thickened with a 
moderate quantity of flour, salt, and pepper, which 
is beaten up and fried with butter ; parsley, ham, or 
bacon may be added, cut fine. 

Smoked Beef 
May be fried in grease with a little pepper, or 
may be stewed in milk. A little flour rubbed with 
butter in a cup, and mixed with some of the warm 
gravy, may be added. 

Boiled Fish. 

There are two modes of boiling fish ; one recom- 
mended by Sir Humphrey Davy, and the other by 
the great Soyer. By the former, the fish cut into 
pieces is thrown into boiling salt and water, one 
piece at a time,' and the largest first ; by the latter 
it is placed in cold water, heated slowly, and allowed 
to simmer by the fire. The former, in his Sahnonia^ 
page 120, quotes chemistry to show that by the 
excessive heat the curd is coagulated at once and 
preserved ; the latter refers to his unequalled repu- 
tation. I have generally pursued the former course 
as the more rapid ; the water must be allowed 
to recover its heat after each piece is thrown in, so 
that it may be always intensely hot ; about fifteen 
minutes of hard boiling will be required, but the 
only reliable plan is to examine and try the fish with 
a fork from time to time, as it is ruined if cooked 
too long, and uneatable if not cooked enough. 



292 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 

In Soyer's receipt the fiah is placed in cold water 
that contains a pound of salt to every six quarts, 
which is then heated to the boiling point and allowed 
to simmer for half an hour if the fish weighs four 
pounds, for three-quarters if it weighs eight pounds, 
and so on. 

Of course, a fish must be scaled ere it is cooked, 
and should be cleaned, although if it is cooked whole 
and the party is hurried, the latter process may be 
omitted without injury ; the entrails, however, are 
not to be eaten. 

A little of the liquor in which the fish has been 
boiled, with Harvey or Anchovy sauce, or Chili 
vinegar, makes an excellent dressing ; but the best 
sauce is obtained by dissolving a spoonful of flour, 
that has been thoroughly mixed with a lump of but- 
ter, in a little warm water, and boiling the whole 
for a few minutes. This may be prepared in any tin 
pot, and, cooked with chopped parsley, is the making 
of boiled fish. 

Fkied Fish. 

The fish, which should be small, after being cleaned 
and scaled, are dipped in water and then in Indian- 
meal, and fried, well seasoned with pepper, in the 
pan with pork drippings or butter. If the latter is 
used, salt must be added. Trout are excellent pre- 
pared in this manner. 

Broiled Fish. 
Fish for broiling may be larger than for frying ; 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 293 

they are scaled, split open down the back,- and well 
seasoned. They are placed on the gridiron and 
approached for a few moments close to the fire, so 
as to sear the pores. They are then cooked more 
slowly and well basted with butter, imless a piece 
of thin pork is laid across them, the grease from 
which will answer the place of basting. A favorite 
way to cook a shad or blue-fish alongshore is to split 
him entirely in two, and tacking the halves, seasoned 
and buttered, to shingles, to roast them rapidly ; each 
man eats from his own hot shingle. 

Baked Fish. 

Small fish or pieces of fish, cleaned, scaled, and 
seasoned, may be rolled in oiled paper and baked in 
the ashes ; or a whole fish unsealed, but cleaned 
and wiped dry, may be rolled in damp leaves and 
buried deep in hot ashes. When it is done, the skin 
and scales will come off together. 

Stewed Fish. 

Cold fish may be cut up into small pieces, sea- 
soned and stewed in water, with a little salt pork. 
If milk is substituted for water, the dish will be 
more j^alatable. 

LOBSTEES 

Must be boiled when alive till they turn red. 
For a dressing the yolk of a raw egg is beaten up, 
with a tea-cupful of salad oil poured in very slowly 
till it is firm ; a tea-spoonful of mustard, a little salt, 



294: COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 

pepper, and vinegar are added and beaten together, 
after which more oil may be added, if necessary. 
The meat is picked from the shell, cut up fine, and 
mixed with a few spoonfuls of vinegar ; the dressing 
is then poured over it. 

Or the dressing may be omitted, and the meat 
cut into pieces may be warmed up in milk and but- 
ter, with pepper and salt, and served hot. 

Potatoes 

Are usually boiled by being throwm, after they have 
been washed, into an iron pot filled with cold water 
and a little salt, placed on the fire till the water 
boils, and allowed to cook till they are done, which 
is ascertained by puncturing them with a fork. The 
water is then poured ofi*, and they are allowed to 
steam near the fire for a few minutes. 

When cold they may be cut up and fried in 
grease, or mashed and stewed in milk, or mixed 
with small pieces of salt pork or meat, and made 
into a species of hash ; in either case they must be 
w^ell seasoned, and are improved by the addition of 
onions. 

The best way to fry them is to slit thin pieces 
from the raw potatoes, and letting them drop into 
cold w^ater, leave them for a few minutes. When 
taken out and fried in butter, they will be crisp and 
fresh. 

Potatoes are tender and mealy if simply baked 
in hot ashes, which can be done by burying them 
under the fire until they become soft. 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 295 

Boiled Meats. 
s Meats are placecT in cold water with a little salt, 
and boiled slowly, the scum that rises being re- 
moved from time to time. 

Feied Poek or Bacon. 

Pork is cut into thin shces and freshened by being 
heated in the frying-pan with a little water. It is 
fried without any addition whatever, and the grease 
fried out of it is saved for cooking other articles. 
It can be breaded by being dipped first in cold 
water, and then in crumbs or Indian-meal, and fried 
crisp. 

The same directions apply to bacon, and both 
should be cut exceedingly thin. 

Stewed, Baked, and Bkoiled Meats. 

Meat may be stewed, baked, and broiled, much 
as has been heretofore directed for fish. In stew- 
ing, the great point is to proceed slowly, and in 
broiling to close the pores by burning the outside 
shghtly on the start ; and the next point is to sea- 
son sufficiently, as both pepper and salt lose their 
strength in the presence of heat. 

Soups 

Are made by boiling a fish or a piece of meat very 
slowly ; if salt meat is used, it must have been 
boiled previously in a different water ; remove the 
scum till no more rises, add any vegetables, and 
boil till done. Use a quart of water to every pound 

4 



296 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN". 

of meat, and keep the pot well covered, ^^apid 
boiling throws off the volatile portions of the meat 
in steam. 

Roast Duck. 
Dip a duck or other large bird, neither cleaned nor 
picked, m water so as to wet the feathers, and throw 
him on the fire or into the hot coals. When tlie 
feathers are pretty well singed, be is done, and the 
skin, feathers, and dirt may be peeled off together. 
A duck needs little more than a thorough heating. 
Small birds may be rolled in oiled paper and roasted 
in the ashes, or a bird picked and cleaned may be 
suspended by a string near the fire, and made to re- 
volve by twisting it up occasionally. 

Beans 
Should be soaked over night, and then well boiled. 

Rice. 
A cupful of rice is thrown with a pinch of salt 
into enough boiling water to cover it well, and boiled , 
for fifteen minutes. It must be soft, but tlie grains 
should be separate. The water is poured off, and it 
is dished up hot. 

Gkavy. 
White gravy is made as already directed for fish. 
For brown gravy, a little flour is heated in a frying- 
pan, and stirred till it is brown. It can be kept in a 
bottle, and is added in small quantities to thicken 
the juice of meat or soups. 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 297 

Tough Meat. 

Scalding vinegar may be poured over loiigh meat, 
which is left to stand over night ; next day the meat 
is to be cut into small pieces and stewed with season- 
ing, and a few slices of potatoe and carrot. 

Vegetables 

Must be placed in boiling water with a pinch of 
salt, and are done when they sink ; they must be 
taken up immediately. 

Water Sought 
Is made by stewing fish cut into small pieces with 
chopped parsley and onions, and some pepper and 
salt. It may be poured over toast and thickened 
with flour and butter. 

Potted Fish. 

Small fish, cleaned and seasoned, and placed with 
a little mace in a pot lined with paper, are covered 
with melted butter, pressed, down, and baked four 
hours with a weight on them. 

Boiled Salmon. 

Bleed the fish the moment it is taken by cutting 
its gills, and across its sides, in a slanting direction 
at every two inches. Hold it by the tail for a few 
minutes in the stream, moving it so as to encourage 
the flow of blood. Put the pot, filled with cold 
spring water, on a brave fire, so that it may heat 
while you are cleaning and scaling the fish. Divide 



298 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 

into slices through the backbone, where the slashes 
have already been made. When the water boils, 
add a large bowlful of salt, and when it has re- 
covered its heat and is screeching hot, throw in the 
pieces of salmon, the largest first, allowing the water 
to recover its temperatm-e after each. For fish un- 
der nine pounds, allow ten minutes, and one minute 
more for every additional pound. Serve with a lit- 
tle of the brine strengthened with anchovy sauce, 
or make a white gravy of flour and butter, as here- 
tofore directed. Save the brine for future use. 

Trout on First Principles. 

Catch your trout, put a pinch of salt in his mouth, 
roll him up in a few folds of newspaper, dip the 
swaddled darling in the water, light a fire, and place 
him in the embers. When the paper chars, take him 
out and eat him at once, rejecting the entrails. 

Kippered Salmon. 

Divide the fish down the back and remove the 
bone ; rub him with equal quantities of sugar and 
salt, and a little pepper ; dry him in the sun or 
smoke. Cut into thin streaks, and broiled, he will 
be found good and appetizing. 

Daniel Webster's Chowder. 

Four table^spoonfuls of onions fried with pork. 
One quart of boiled potatoes well mashed. 
One and one-half pounds of ship-biscuit broken. 
One tea-spoonful of thyme. 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 299 

One tea-spoonful of summer savory. 

One half bottle of mushroom catsup. 

One bottle of port or claret. 

One-half nutmeg grated. 

A few cloves, mace, allspice, and slices of lemon, 
and some black pepper. 

Six pounds of sea-bass or cod, cut in slices. 

Twenty-five oysters. 

The whole to be put in a pot, covered with an 
inch of water, cooked slov^ly and stirred gently. 

LiVEE. 

Pieces of deer-liver may be impaled on a red cedar 
skewer, w^ith a slice of pork on top, and set up round 
a fire, near enough to cook slowly ; the pork mil 
melt and baste the rest. 

Geiddle Cakes 

Are made by thickening flour with milk or wvater, 
and adding an egg or .two, together with a pinch of 
salt. They are poured in ladlefuls on a hot griddle 
or frying-pan that has been well greased. Rice that 
has been boiled and left over, or corn-meal that has 
been scalded, may be mixed with the other articles, 
and makes rice or Indian cakes, 

CoEN Beead. 

■ Two cups of Indian meal and one cup of wheat 
flour are mixed with two tea-spoonfuls of cream of 
tartar, to which is added one pint of sour milk or 
of sweet milk in which one tea-spoonful of soda has 



800 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 

been dissolved, beaten up with two eggs. The whole 
is to be baked one hour. Cream of tartar is always to 
be mixed with the flour, and soda with the milk, so 
that when these are subsequently bi'ought in con- 
tact, gas is evolved and the bread is rendered light. 

Scott's Chowder. 

The following recipe was furnished by Mr. Genio 
C. Scott to the New York Spirit of the Thnes^ and 
is doubtless equal to the reputation of the author : — 

" The old-fashioned iron pot is the best to make it 
in, but in lieu of it a copper-bottomed saucepan, as 
deep as it is wide, will answer. First take your fish 
— ^alraost any kind will answer — but cod and sea-bass 
are the best ; clean and scale your fish, and cut them 
into i^ieces two inches square ; parboil a few onions ; 
peel a few potatoes and quarter them ; cut up some 
salt pork into the thinnest possible slices, and cover 
the bottom and sides of your pot with it to prevent 
your chowder from burning ; place upon the pork a 
layer of fish, and season it with salt and a little black 
pepper. (Since I read 'My Peninsular Medal,' I 
have been very chary of black pepper, for that 
authority states that it inflames the stomach without 
stimulating it, while the cayenne pepper stimulates 
without inflaming; but a dash of black pepper is 
useful for its fragrance.) Next, a layer of the par- 
boiled onions quartered ; next, a layer of potatoes, 
and season the layers ; next, a layer of ripe tomatoes 
sliced and seasoned (tomato requires more salt than 
other vegetables) ; next, a layer of cracked sea-bis- 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 301 

cuit ; next, a layer of fish ; then sprinkle this layer 
with infinitesimal pieces of salt pork, but sparingly ; 
then your layers of onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and 
sea-biscuit, with proper seasonings of each layer; 
pour water enough to cover the contents of the pot, 
but no more ; cover the pot and place it on a slow 
fire where it will simmer or boil slowly for an hour 
and a half; a half hour before dishing the chowder, 
pour upon it a bottle of Burgundy or claret. 

" In seasoning the difierent layers of the chowder, 
tomato catsup will answer where ripe tomatoes can- 
not be had. Sauces are also introduced sometimes, 
and in case the party has been used to highly-sea- 
soned food, either Soyer, Harvey, or Worcestershire 
sauces may be used sparingly. Many prefer to sea- 
son with a greater variety of spices and condiments. 
I often season with allspice; but camp chowder 
should be simple, and composed of edibles easily 
obtainable.' Clam chowder is made in the same 
manner." 

Fish-House Punch. 
One-quarter of a pint of lemon juice, one-quarter 
of a pound of white sugar, and two pints and a half 
of water. One-quarter of a pint of peach brandy ; 
the same of Jamaica rum, and a half pint of cognac ; 
the three latter ingredients mixed separately. 

Pineapple Punch. 
One slice of pineapple which has stood a day 
covered with sugar, two bottles of port, one bottle 
of champagne, and plenty of ice. 



802 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 

PoETO Rico Punch. 
Black tea and Porto Rico rum, mixed half and 
half, and sufficient sugar, lemon-peel, and ice. 

Nondescript Punch. 
One bottle of claret, three-fourths of a tumbler of 
brandy, a claret glass of Jamaica rum, one bottle of 
champagne, ice and sugar. 

Arrack Punch. 
Eight tumblers of Jamaica rum, one and a half of 
arrack, and one of lemon juice, which together with 
the rind of three lemons, is to be allowed to stand 
for ten minutes, when sugar is to be added, and 
water to twice the amount of the liquor. 

Champagne Punch. 
One bottle of brandy, one of Jamaica rum, and 
one of arrack ; three and a half pounds of sugar, but 
no water, four lemons and twelve oranges cut in 
slices, a large lump of ice. Add champagne to suit 
the taste immediately before drinking. 

Regal Punch. 

Peel twenty-four lemons; steep the rinds for 
twelve hours in two quarts of Jamaica rum. Squeeze 
the lemons on three and a half pounds of loaf sugar ; 
add two quarts of dark brandy and six quarts of 
water. Mix all together ; add two quarts of boiled 
milk, stir until the mixture curdles, strain it through 
a jelly-bag until clear; bottle and cork. 

This I have not tried, but give it on good authority. 



COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 803 

Fkank Forester's Punch. 

The rind of a dozen lemons, two tumblerfuls of 
finely powdered sugar, three pints of pale cognac, 
two quarts of cold, strong, green tea, strained clear, 
two flasks of Curacao, abundance of ice, and a half 
dozen of champagne. This is an admirable liquor, 
even without the champagne. 

Venison Stew. 

Make a sauce by melting a lump of butter with 
two mustard-spoonfuls of mustard, two table-spoon 
fuls of mushrot>m catsup, and one of sauce, mango 
sauce being the best ; add the juice of half a lemon, 
one wine glass of sherry, and one of claret. Heat 
the mixture as hot as possible, and rub in two table- 
spoonfuls of currant jelly till the whole is perfectly 
smooth; then take the venison cut in steaks, and 
previously either roasted or broiled, and warm it 
thoroughly in the sauce to which the juice of the 
meat, if any, has been added. Cold meat is redeemed 
by this process. 



And now my friends, if you are ever fortunate 
enough to have the Superior Fishing I have de- 
scribed, or if the author's good-will may avail even 
better, and, after the delight and triumph of success, 
the well-earned prize is brought up properly upon 
the table, either in the rough woods or the elegant 
dining-room, and is flanked by such appropriate 
dishes as circumstances permit, and laid to rest in the 



804 COOKERY FOR SPORTSMEN. 

best liquor that can be obtained ; then your mind, 
filled with present complacency, must travel back 
over these pages, and forgetting the faults and par- 
doning the errors, acknowledge that if in them you 
have not found an instructor, you have found a 
brother sportsman ; and, for the sake of the bond 
that binds all members of the gentle craft together, 
if you cannot conscientiously praise the manner or 
the matter of these pages, you will utter no word to 
discourage an effort that, while pointing out and 
dwelling upon the beauties of nature in our wonder- 
ful country, and the pure attractions it offers to the 
lovers of our art, has principally been to maintain 
the healthy and ennobling nature of field-sports ; to 
urge the protection, at proper seasons, of the game 
that still lingers in our woods and waters ; and to 
elevate to a proud standard of honorable, generous, 
and merciful rivalry the sportsmanship of America. 



THE END. 



1 



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immortal American humorist. . . izmo. cloth, $1.50 
Kis^^ -BOOK.— In press. . . . do. $1.50 

Miss Mnlocli. 
JOHN HALIFAX— A novel. Withillust. i2mo., cloth, $1.75 

A LIFE FOE A LIFE.— . do. . do. $1.75 

Cbarlotte Bronte (Cnrrer Bell). 

JANE EYRE.— A novel. With illustration, izmo. cloth, $1.75 
THE PEOFESSOE.— do. . do. . do. $1-75 

6HIELEY.— . do. , do. . do. 61.75 

VILLETTE.— . do. . do. . do. I1.75 

Edmund Kirke. 
AMONG THE PINE3.-A Southern sketch. izmo. cloth, $i.(jo 

MY SOUTHERN FEIENDS.— do. do. . $1.50 

DOWN IN TENNESSEE.— Just published. , do. $1.50 

Cntlibert Bede. 
VEEDANT GEEEN.— A rollicking, humorous novel of English 
student life; with 200 comic illustrations. i2mo. cloth, $1.50 
NEAEER AND DEAEEE.— A novel, illustrated. l2mo. clo. $1.50 

Ricliard B. KimbaU. 
WAS HE SUCCESSFUL?— A novel. 1 2mo. cloth, $1.75 

UNDEECUEEENT8.— do. do. $1.75 

BAINT LEGEE.— do. do. 1 1-75 

EOMANCE OF STUDENT LIFE.— do. , do. $1-75 

IN THE TEOPica-Edited by R. B. Kimball. do. $175 

Epes Sargent. 
PECULIAR.— One of the most remarkable and successful novels 
published in this country. . . i2mo. cloth, $i.7S 



BY GEO. W. CARLETON, NEW YORK. 



do. 


$1.50 


do. 


$1.50 


do. 


$1.50 


do. 


$i.5C 


do. 


$1.50 


do. 


$1.50 


do. 


$1.50 


do. 


$1.50 



A. S. Roe's \l^orlis. 

A LONG LOOK AHEAD.— A novel. i2mo. cloth, $1.50 

ro LOVE AND TO BE LOVED.— do. . 

TIME AND TIDE.— do. , 

I'VE BEEN THINKING.— do. . 

IHE STAR AND THE CLOUD.— do. . 

TRUE TO THE LAST.— do. . 

HOW COULD HE HELP IT.— do. . 

LIKE AND UNLIKE.— do. . 

LOOKING AiEiOTjmi.— Just published. 

Walter Barrett, Cleric. 

OLD MERCHANTS OF NEW YORK.— Being personal incidents, 
interesting sketches, bits of biography, and gossipy events 
in the life of nearly every leading merchant in New York 
City. Three series. . . i2mo. cloth, each, $1.75 

T. S. Arthur's Neiv Works. 

LIGHT ON SHADOWED PATHS.— A novel. 12m0. cloth, $1.50 

OUT IN THE WORLD.— do. . do. $1.50 

NOTHING BUT MONEY— do. . do. tl.^Q 

WHAT CAME AFTERWARDS.— //Z ^r^jj. . do. $1.50 

Orpliens G. Kerr. 
ORPHEUS c. KERR PAPERS.-Three series. i2mo. cloth, $1.50 
THE PALACE BEAUTIFUL.— And Other poems. do. $1.50 

m. OTicIielet's W^orks. 

LOVE (L' AMOUR).— From the French. i2mo. cloth, 1 1. 50 

WOMAN (LA FEMME.)— do. . . do. $1.50 

Novels by Rufflni. 

DR. ANTONIO.— A love Story of Italy. i2mo. cloth, $175 

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VINCENZO; OR, SUNKEN ROCKS.— 8vO. cloth, $175 

Rev Jolm Cumining, I>.I>., of Loudon. 

THE GREAT TRIBULATION.— Two series. l2mo. cloth, $1.50 

THE GREAT PREPARATION.— do. . do. • $1.50 

THE GREAT CONSUMMATION.— do. . do. $1.<;0 

Jbrnest Renan. 

THE LIFE OF JESUS.— Translated by C. E. Wilbour from the 

celebrated French work. . . i2mo. cloth, 1 175 

UELIGIOUS HISTORY AND CRITICISM.— 8v0. cloth, I2.50 

Cuyler Pine. 

MARY BEANDEQEE.— An American novel. - ' $1.75 
A NEW NOVEL.— /w ijress, . . . . . $175 



LIST OF BOOKS PUBLISHED 



Charles Reade. 

THE CLOISTER AOT) THE HEAPwTH.— A magnificent new novel, b)* 
the author of " Hard Cash," etc. . 8vo. cloth, $2.0G 
Tlae Oper^. 

TAUES FEOM THE OPERAS.— A collection of clever stories, based 
upon the plots of all the famous operas. i2mo. cl., $1.50 

J. C. JealTreson. 

A BOOK ABOUT DOCTORS.— An exceedingly humorous and en- 
tertaining volume of sketches, stories, and facts, about 
famous physicians and surgeons. l2mo. cloth, $1.75 

Fred. S. Cozzens. 

THE SPARROWGEASS PAPERS —A capital humorous work, with 
illustrations by Darley. . . i2mo. cloth, $1.50 

F. D. GuerrazzL 

BEATRICE CENCL— A great historical novel. Translated from 
the Italian; with a portrait of the Cenci, from Gui do's 
famous picture in Rome. . . i2mo. cloth, $1.75 

Private Miles O'Reilly. 

HIS BOOK.— Comic songs, speeches, &c. i2mo. cloth, $1.50 
A NEW NOVEL.— i>^ ^9reS5. . . . do. $1.50 

Tlie New York: Central Farlc. 

A SUPERB GIFT BOOK— The Central Park pleasantly described, ' 
and magnificently embellished with more than 50 exquisite 
photographs of the principal views and objects of interest. 
A large quarto volume, sumptuously bound in Turkey 
morocco, ....... $30.00 

Josepli Rodman I>rake. 

ruE CULPRIT FAT.- The most charming faery poem in the 
English language. Beautifully printed. l2mo. cloth, 75 cts. 

Mother Goose for Grown Folks. 

HUMOROUS RHYMES for grown people ; based upon the famous 
** Mother Goose Melodies." . . i2mo. cloth, $1.00 

Mrs. 

FAIRY FINGERS.— A new novel. . i2mo. cloth, $1,75 

THE MUTE SINGER.— do. hi pTCSS. do. $1.75 

Rol>ert B. Roosevelt. 

THE GAME FISH OF THE NORTH.— Illustrated. i2mo. cl. I2.00 

SUPERIOR FISHING.— ^Z^Jif /7MMj-^fi. do. do. $2.00 

THE GAME BIRDS OF THE NORTH.— /?2 prCSS. . . $2.00 

jrobu Flioentr. 

THE SQUIBOB PAPERS.— With comic illustr. i2mo. cl., $1.50 



BY GEO. W.^fiARLETOK, NEW YORK. 



N. S. Cliamberlain. 

THE AUTOBIOGEAPHY OF A NEW ENGLAND TAEM-HOUSE.— $ 1 .75 

Amelia B. Edwards. 

BALLADS.— By author of ** Barbara's History." Ii.ijo 

S. M. Jolinson. 
S'EEE GOVEENMENT IN ENGLAND AND AMERI0A.--8vO. cl. I5.OO 

Captain Semines. 

THE ALABAMA AND SUMTEE.— . . 1 2mo. cl. $2.0O 

Hew^es Gordon. 

LOVEES AND THINKERS.— A new novel. . - . $1.56 

Caroline May. 

^o^ua,.— Just published. , . . izmo. cloth, $1.1; o 

Slavery. 

THE SUPPEESSED BOOK ABOUT SLAVEET.— I2mo. cloth, $2.0O 
Railroad and Insurance 

ALMANAC FOE 1865.— Full of Statistics. . 8vo. cloth, $2.00 
Stephen Massett. 

DRIFTING ABOUT.— Comic book, illustrated. i2mo. cloth, $1.50 

Thomas Bailey Aldrich. 

BABIE BELL, AND OTHEE POEMS.— Blue and gold binding, $1.50 
OUT OF HIS HEAD.— A new romance. i2mo. cloth, $1.50 

Richard IX. Stoddard. 

THE KING'S BELL.— A new poem. . i2mo. cloth, 75 cts. 

THE MOEGESONS.— A novel. By Mrs. R. H. Stoddard. $1.50 

E:dmnnd^,C. Stedman. 

ALICE OF MONMOUTH.— A new poem. i2mo. cloth, $1.25 

LTEICS AND IDYLS.— . . . . do. $1.25 

M. T. Walworth. 
LULU.— A new novel. . . . i2mo. cloth, $1.50 
HOTSPUE.— do do. $1.50 

Author of " ©lie." 
NEPENTHE.— A new novel. . . i2mo. cloth, $1.50 

TOGETHEE.— do. . . do. $1.50 

Quest. 
A NEW EOMANCE.— . . . 12mO. cloth, I1.50 

Victoire, 
A NEW NOYEL.— .... 1 2mo. cloth, $1.75 

James H. HacJsett. 
NOTES AND COMMENTS ON SHAKSPEAEE.— 12mo. cloth, $1.50 



S LIST OF BOOKS PUBLISHED BY CARLETON, IfEW YORK 

Miscellaneous ll^orks. 

JOHN GUILD^RSTRING'S SIN.— A novel. . i2mo. cloth, $1.50 

CENTEOLA.— By author " Green Mountain Boys." do. $1.50 

RED TAPE AND PIGEON-HOLE GENERALS.— . do. $1.50 

THE PARTISAN LEADER.— By Beverly Tucker. do. $1.50 

ADAM GUROWSKI.— Washington diary for 1863. do. $1.50 

TREATISE ON DEAFNESS.— By Dr. E. B. Lighthill. do. $1.50 

THE PRISONER OF STATE.— By D. A. Mahoney. do. $1.50 

AROUND THE PYRAMIDS.— By Gen. Aaron Ward. do. $1.50 

CHINA AND THE CHINESE.— By W. L. G. Smith, do. $1.50 

THE WINTHROPS.— A novel by J. R. Beckwith. do. $1.75 

SPREES. AND SPLASHES.— By Henry Morford. do. $1.50 
GARRET YAN HORN.— A novel by J. S. Sauzade. do. $1.50 

SCHOOL FOR THE SOLDIER.— By Capt. Van Ness. do. 50 cts. 

THE TACHTMAN'S PRIMER.— By T. R. Warren, do. 50 cts. 
EDGAR POE AND HIS CRITICS.— By Mrs. Whitman, do. $1.00 

ERIC; OR, LITTLE BY LITTLE.— By F. W. Farrar. do. $1.50 

SAINT WINIFREDU-By the author of " Eric." do. $1.50 

A WOMAN'S THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN— . do. $1.50 

THE SEA.- By Michelet, author of "Love." do. $1.50 

MARRIED OFF.— Illustrated satirical poem. . do. 50 cts. 

SCHOOL-DAYS OF EMINENT MEN.— By Timbs. do. $1.50 

ROMANCE OF A POOR YOUNG MAN.— . . do. $1.50 

THE FLYING DUTCHMAN.— J. G. Saxe, illustrated, do. 75 cts. 

ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT.— Life and travels, do. $1.50 

LIFE OF HUGH MILLER— The celebrated geologist, do. $1.50 

LYRICS OF A DAY— or, newspaper poetry. . do. $1.00 

THE u. S. TAX LAW.-" Government Edition." do. $1.00 
TACTICS ; or, Cupid in Shoulder-Straps. . do. $1.50 
DEBT AND GRACE.-By Rev. C. F. Hudson. do. $1.75 

THE RUSSIAN BALL.-IHustrated satirical poem. do. 50 cts. 

THE SNOBLACE BALL.— do. do. do. do. 50 CtS. 

THE CHURCH IN THE ARMY.— By Dr. ScOtt. do. $1.75 

TEACH US TO PRAY.-By Dr. Cumming. . do. $1.50 

AN ANSWER TO HUGH MiLLER.-By T. A. Davies. do. $1.50 
COSMOGONY.-By Thomas A. Davies. . 8vo. cloth, $2.00 

TWENTY YEARS around the World. J. Guy Vassar. do. $3.75 
THE SLAVE POWER.— By J. E. Cairnes. . . do. $2.00 

EURAL ARCHITECTURE.-By M. Field, illustrated, do. $2.00 










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